Staff Sergeant Sabrina Magness

By Abigail Blonigen

Whilethe Army often brings to mind images of heavy machinery in the desert, Staff Sergeant Sabrina Magness has spent most of her military career in places where her feet get cold, currently stationed in Duluth.

“I have been in the desert, but more of my career has been spent in places where I’m cold and my feet are wet more than any time I’ve spent in the desert sweating,” said Magness. “It’s definitely not always what you think about.”

Magness, from the small rural town of Catawissa, Penn., never considered joining the military growing up. After graduating from high school, she got a job in the area. It was a good, steady job, but Magness found it to be unfulfilling.

“There was this voice in the back of my head that was like, you know there’s probably more you could do,” she said.

Out of curiosity, Magness went to the Army website and filled out their recruitment questionnaire. The Army was the first branch to pop into her head due to her father’s time in the service before she was born.

About an hour and a half later, with Magness still in her bathrobe, an Army recruitment officer showed up at her door.

“I was really impressed that within a two-hour timeframe of reaching out, I had a response,” she said. “They were very interested in me, and I didn’t look back.”

In 2011, after being sworn in, Magness headed to basic training in Fort Jackson, S.C. She had joined the Army Reserve to do satellite communications, which she described as working in the field with equipment that makes internet connection possible in remote places. She was first stationed in Fort Indiantown Gap, Penn., a few hours from where she grew up.

About two and a half years later, Magness was deployed with a unit from Puerto Rico to continue her communications job in the Middle East. Her battalion was stationed out of Kuwait, and she was there for the standard deployment of nine months.

“I got the chance to learn a very technical job, and I really enjoyed it,” she said. Magness met her husband through her service, who is also in the Army. They spent about a year living in Texas and then two years in Georgia before being stationed in Duluth about a year and a half ago.

Both Magness and her husband are now active duty soldiers, she in supply and he in recruitment. The Army tries to place married soldiers in the same location, so

Magness feels fortunate there were positions open for both of them in Duluth. They expect to be in Duluth for roughly three years total before being placed at their next duty location.

She likes Duluth for its adaptability, friendliness, and that there is a lot to do year-round. She and her husband went snowmobiling for the first time this winter, and her kids love to ice skate.

“Growing up in Pennsylvania, I’ve experienced winter and snow, but it’s nothing like the winters up here,” she said.

In Duluth, Magness serves as the supply sergeant for the 612th Engineer Detachment, a different role than her previous communications position. This consists of making sure the soldiers and unit have the right equipment, doing paperwork, inventory, and planning and preparation for training events.

“It’s been relearning things I thought I knew and figuring out how to be a full time staff member instead of just weekend trainings,” said Magness of her new active duty role. “I’m an essential team member now, and I’m learning how to manage all of that and be a constant for the unit.”

Through her military service, Magness has learned a lot. In addition to technical skills such as packing quickly and efficiently, she has learned a great deal from the people she’s met and served with.

“Everyone can teach you something,” she said. “Everyone is good at something. Everyone offers some value to the team.”

She’s also learned the importance of focusing on her family when she is home, as she is the mother of 10-yearold twins and welcomed a new baby in December.

As far as being a woman in the military, Magness said she has not encountered a negative situation due to her gender.

“The military today is much different than it was even 10 years ago as far as opportunities for women,” she said, noting that all combat jobs are now open for women.

“Women are definitely still a minority, but I think the impact that we have is not diminished because there are fewer of us,” she said.

Magness said she was fortunate to have good role models both in the military and in her personal life that she never had a second thought about her ability to serve. Both she and her spouse hope to make a career out of their military service and are excited to see where it takes them next. D