PINEDALE – For most of her adult life, local resident Billie Hamby has, in one way or another, served her country through her dedication to the military.

A a lifelong Wyoming resident, Hamby grew up in Basin, where she graduated from Riverside High School in 1992 and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force shortly thereafter in 1993. Her service began with working as a computer systems operator and by the time she retired in 2013, she worked as an Air Force recruiter at Hill Air Force Base just outside of Salt Lake City.

Throughout her 20 years of service, she traveled the world while being stationed in Germany, Kuwait and Qatar.

Immediately following her retirement with the Air Force, she and her family packed up and headed back to their home state of Wyoming to plant roots in the Upper Green.

Back in Wyoming, Hamby continued to do whatever possible to help out with the local VFW Post 4801 in Pinedale, along with being a member of the American Legion Post No. 47.

She also took up a position with the Pinedale High School to work as a librarian, but recently had her position cut at the end of this current school year. In trying to find out her next move, she stumbled into her new role.

In a call to previous Sublette County Veteran Services Officer Cheryl Allen, she learned that Allen retired from the position at the end of March and that the position was open. She felt the job was a perfect fit for her, and that she was open to the idea of working in the capacity when she first moved to Sublette County.

“My husband and I met with Cheryl and I thought, ‘Gosh, that would be a great job for me,’ but I didn’t think anything of it,” she said.

Now the job is hers, and she couldn’t be happier to work with the veterans that call Sublette County home. The job is part of the Tri-County Veterans Services Offices based out of Rock Springs, which covers Sweetwater, Lincoln and Sublette counties. Each county has its own specific individual to serve that particular area.

The job began on June 12, and she will work to educate local veterans on the benefits they qualify for and assist them in enrolling in the veteran health care system, along with pointing veterans in the right direction to get discounted license plates and property taxes.

In her short time in the position, she has met with individuals down at the Marbleton Senior Center, which she visits weekly each Thursday. She will also be heading down to Big Piney on July 2 to introduce herself and her new role for the community. After figuring out her schedule, trips to Bondurant and Boulder to assist veterans are also on the docket. She also plans to reach out to energy companies in the area who may have veterans in their workforce, so that they, too, can gain a better understanding of the benefits available to them.

For now, Hamby is in a learning phase to become more familiar with her new role.

“I’m excited, but still learning and getting familiar with the area, databases and contact numbers,” she said. “This is where I’m supposed to be.”

Military service is deeply embedded in the Hamby family, as her husband Shawn Hamby is a retired Air Force master sergeant who served for 21 years. The family’s oldest child Kaleb Hamby, 22, is currently stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Middle son JD Hamby, 18, graduated from Pinedale High School this spring and has a scholarship to play baseball for the Arizona Christian University Firestorm, while youngest son Brody, 11, still lives at home.

Outside of work, Billie and her family enjoy life in the Upper Green through hunting, fishing, camping and supporting son JD as he plays baseball for Archie Hay Post 24 out of Rock Springs for the Sand Puppies.

Sublette County has a strong population of veterans ranging from the Korean War to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Billie is honored to serve them all in any way possible.

“Sublette County has a vast range of veterans,” she noted. “Veterans are near and dear to my heart; I can’t wait to let my name get out there. We have a pretty transient community and I’m here to help them.”