Press Release
☷Chamorro upbringing shapes Army civilian s journey
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
May 03,2022
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Leilani Tabor serves as an administrative specialist for U . S . Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s G - 3 office , March 28 , 2022 . ( U . S . Army photo by Carrie Campbell ) Leilani Tabor poses for a photo with her daughter Shanyle and son , Bryan , at the top of Koko Head in Oahu , Hawaii , July 15 , 2018 . ( Courtesy Photo ) REDSTONE ARSENAL , Ala . – Family converses on a bright , white sand beach on Guam as the sun starts to fall below the water , painting the sky with pinks , oranges and yellows . The smell of spices and grilled meats permeate the air and loud , cheerful , laidback music plays in the background of laughter and chatter . A perfectly roasted pig sits amongst dishes of red rice , kelaguens , spinach cooked with coconut milk , an array of grilled meats , and more . Plates are filled to bursting , never leaving hands or mouths idle between the sharing of stories . And when those are gone , desserts of pie and coconut galore take their place , ending the meal with a sweet touch . Family , food , beaches and sunsets fill Leilani Tabor’s favorite memories of Guam , but she misses the view of the beach most . Clear turquoise water that fades to deep blue as the ocean floor gets farther from the surface . At the age of 26 , on Feb . 5 , 2003 , she left her Chamorro , which refers to the people and culture indigenous to the Mariana Islands , upbringing and everything she loved to join the military . What ensued was a life of travel and adventure . When she left to start her life in the military , Tabor had only left the island once before in high school . That school trip gave her a taste of what travel could be like and the opportunities that existed outside of Guam . “I wanted to explore . I had so many goals in life in high school . As soon I was able to get the fear of leaving out of my system , I went , ” Tabor said . She also said her kids , Bryanna , Shanyle , and Bryan , were part of her reason for joining the Army . “I needed my kids to have a better life than what I did , ” Tabor said . “We didn’t have everything growing up , so I wanted to make sure my kids got something I didn’t have growing up . ” Tabor went to her first duty station , South Korea , without her three kids . She said it was scary and lonely but necessary . Fortunately , she was able to find other Chamorros in South Korea , getting together with them every weekend to cook and hang out . “It was like one big family , ” Tabor said . It’s also where she met her husband , Joffre , or “Jay . ” Tabor served as a Soldier for three years , but continued serving as an Army spouse and civilian during her husband’s 24 ½ years of service . The family has been stationed at Fort Bliss , Texas; Yongsan , South Korea; Fort Bragg , North Carolina; Camp Zama , Japan; and Hickam Air Force Base , Hawaii . Tabor’s kids rejoined her when she and her husband were stationed at Fort Bliss in 2005 . In 2007 , Jay was reassigned to Yongsan , where Tabor began her career as an Army civilian . “Working for the Army as a civilian has been the best decision I’ve made in my life . It has afforded me the opportunity to meet great people , travel to different places around the world and financially provide for my family all while serving alongside our brave men and women in uniform , ” Tabor said . Tabor first started as a family readiness support specialist . Throughout the years , she worked her way up and now works as an administrative specialist for U . S . Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s G - 3 office . “I enjoy the work that I do for the organization and the flexibility of being able to do a variety of tasks , ” Tabor said . “A lot of my work is done in the background but I know what I do contributes to a greater mission and that in itself is amazing . ” While they lived all over , Tabor’s kids have been able to periodically visit the island . Tabor taught her kids to speak Chamorro as they grew to keep them connected to their culture . “It kind of faded as they got older but every now and then , I’ll try to throw in a few words , ” Tabor said . She also taught them how to cook Chamorro dishes she knew . “My son , he loves to cook , so he’s pretty good at it . My two older ones will ask me when they want to cook it or when they’re craving for it , ” Tabor said . Tabor also found pockets of Chamorros at every duty station , providing her and her kids with a piece of home wherever the Army sent them . She and her husband were at their last duty station at Hickam Air Force Base when one of Tabor’s aunts bought a house in Huntsville and suggested they look for a house in the area , as well . After searching for months , they finally found one , as well as jobs on Redstone Arsenal , and moved here . While Tabor and her husband plan to stay in Huntsville , Guam is still home , Tabor said . “It’s always home , ” she said . Tabor reflected on how her heritage has shaped her . “The basic lifestyle that the Chamorro people lived is what molded me to be who I am today , ” Tabor said . “The expensive lifestyle was not a part of our culture growing up . We lived off our land , ate the food we grew , hunted and fished . Our playground was the beach . I was taught that I should be proud of what I had in life , nothing in life was handed out , and you had to go earn it . I ' ve learn to appreciate things more if I worked hard to get them . ”
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