127 Years of Family Serving Family: Mariam Afzal, Safety & Security Assistant, Scott AFB
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 127 years of family serving family.
Who she is: Mariam Afzal, safety & security assistant, Scott AFB
Years with the Exchange: Two
Where she started: Scott AFB, as a store assistant
Military connections: A native of Afghanistan, Afzal spent six years as a translator, interpreter and cultural advisor with the U.S. military—one of the first female translators to work with the U.S. in Afghanistan.
“It was a great experience in my life. I worked with all the armed services and learned so many things about U.S. culture. I worked with both the U.S. and Afghan militaries as an interpreter for cultural training in Europe, attended meetings, prepared written translations and joined them on convoys throughout Kabul.
“It was very risky, especially as a woman in Afghanistan at the time. Most people did not approve of working with foreign troops, so very few people knew what I was doing.
“I learned so much and it was good to pave the way for others. You shouldn’t be afraid of who you are. I made great friends with all the service members I worked with and their families.”
What brought her to the Exchange: “While working at Camp Eggers in Kabul, I would see the PX on the base. As a local national, I could not go there alone, but I remember asking one of my mentors—an Air Force colonel—how I could shop there. He told me, ‘If you need anything, I will go with you, and you can shop.’
“I consider that PX a very special place.”
Afzal qualified for resettlement to the U.S. under the Special Immigrant Visa program for her translator/interpreter service.
“After my visa was approved and I moved to the U.S., one of my mentors recommended applying for a position at the Exchange. I saw that the main BX at Scott AFB was hiring near where I was living in Illinois. I applied for a few different positions and was offered a job as a store assistant.”
Family serving family: “The Exchange is very special to me. It reminds me of home. I have great teammates and managers, and there are plenty of opportunities for growth. I’ve also had service members who I worked with in Afghanistan visit me since I have lived in the U.S. It is very nice being able to work with the military again.
“No matter where you come from or what you look like, your dreams are valid here. I have met people through the Exchange who I will be friends with for life, and it was worth it to go through all that I went through to end up in the U.S.”
