Boeing Defense, Space & Security, admits she had no idea what she wanted to do upon graduating from high school. After working in a U.S. Marines recruiting office in 1978, she joined the Marines—without telling her parents. Even though her father was an Air Force veteran, her parents weren’t excited their only daughter had enlisted. To be sure, women were not nearly as common in the Marines, or the U.S. military in general, at the time. “Everywhere I served, I was either the only female Marine or there were thought we made a cute couple,” said Bretthauer, who lives in Mukilteo, Wash. “Because of this, we were asked to pose for a Marine Corps recruiting flier that was handed out at schools and other events on Whidbey Island.” The two married in the summer of 1982, and just marked their 32nd anniversary. Meanwhile, Bretthauer has worked at Boeing for 28 years. She said her interest in IT started during her six years in the Marines. While her parents had misgivings, she credits her military service for giving her direction and a full appreciation for the country in which she lives. Tony Tumminello entered active service near the end of the Vietnam conflict. In his own words, he describes his military service as “not the kind of heroic, adventurous experience most folks think of.” He served four years as a captain in the U.S. Air Force at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, which hosted no aircraft at the time. “Yet it had a profound effect on the rest of my life,” Tumminello said. “During my time in service, I personally observed the dedication that my fellow airmen and officers brought to their assignments and the pride they took in what we were doing for our country.” Tumminello was there as a military lawyer in the JAG Corps, which he joined after graduating from law school. He was assigned to the major procurement base, where he learned about military contracting. That, he just one or two others,” Bretthauer said. In 1981, Bretthauer found herself assigned for three months to Marine Air Group 42 at Whidbey Naval Air Station in Washington state. While the corporal administrative clerk toured the air station’s facilities, she was introduced to a fellow Marine who worked in classified materials. After learning more about him, they went out for lunch and dinner almost every day. “At this time, I was the only female Marine attached to the unit, and everyone John White PHOTO: BOB FERGUSON/BOEING 34 Frontiers November 2014
Frontiers November 2014 Issue
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