20 April 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Growing up in Emporia, Belinda Schlesener never imagined she would see the world.
Throughout her 20-year career with the military she would do just that, making changes in the day to day of fellow soldiers throughout New York, Thailand and Panama.
Heading into the 70’s, Belinda was looking to put her recreation and sociology degrees to good use.
“At that time, there weren’t a lot of really good jobs out there available for Women, even though I had graduated from college,” Schlesener said. “Just not a lot of opportunity for things that you could expand upon.”
She found the opportunity she was looking for with the U.S. Air Force, serving in the Morale Welfare and Recreation position.
“It was all of the fun things to do when you’re assigned to the military,” Schlesener said. “It’s the gymnasium and the aeroclub, the childcare center, youth activities, the recreation center, the officers and NCO clubs.”
Making a difference with the mental and physical wellbeing of soldiers and their families while overseas meant a lot to Belinda.
“It’s a lot of responsibility,” she said. “It’s important to the mission, it’s important to the sanity, it’s important to family support. It’s a wonderful job.”
That job landed here in the then-Panama Canal Zone at a pivotal moment in history when the United States began the process of turning over the zone completely to the Panamanians.
“We went to the base headquarters and watched the lowering of the U.S. flag for the last time,” Schlesener said. “That was very memorable, they had a band there and they had color guards, that was special.”
Even decades after her service with the military has ended, her time overseas and the lessons she learned through those experiences still stick strongly with Belinda to this day.
“I had more opportunity for leadership,” she said, “for learning how to be a team player, to work things out, to work with people, to motivate people to do an even better job.”
Belinda is keeping busy to this day, traveling when possible and maintaining a family farm.