Ghanaian-born Senior Master Sgt. Eva Appiah has been selected as the Air Force Reserve Command’s Enlisted Legislative Fellow, a representative in Congress for 2021.
Eva was born and raised by a single mother in Agona Swedru, a town in the Central Region of Ghana. She is a product of Swedru International School (SWIS), a boarding school in Swedru. After moving to Smiths Station Alabama with her mother when she was 14 years old, she enrolled at Smiths Station High School.
Eva after graduating high school, refused her mother’s constant nudges towards joining the military. She instead opted to attend college and got admission to Auburn University Montgomery in Montgomery, Alabama. During her freshman year however, she decided to join the military. She underwent training and was assigned to the 908th Airlift Wing, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, where she functioned in several different positions within the Logistics Readiness Squadron for several years.
After obtaining her masters degree in health administration, she applied for an officer commission in 2016 but unfortunately wasn’t selected. Basing on the advice of colleagues, she pushed to become a first sergeant. During the execution of her duties in this position, she noticed the opportunity to serve as Air Force Reserve Command Enlisted Legislative Fellow.
This fellowship was an avenue to select a representative for congress. It takes a total of 54 months, including six months of academic courses, one year on Capitol Hill as staffer to a member of congress or committee and a 36-month post-fellowship active-duty service commitment in the National Capital Region.
Eva applied, albeit reluctantly, with the help of her then superiors and teammates. Soon after, she was notified she was a finalist. A few days after a virtual interview with three panel members, she was notified that she had been selected as the Air Force Reserve Command’s Enlisted Legislative Fellow, a representative to Congress.
