Fort Belvoir, Va. –
Senior Auditor Essence Williams, Mountain View Branch Office, Arlington, TX, comes from a family with a long history of military, federal, and state service. Her maternal grandparents have a combined 70 years of public service and her parents have a combined 66 years of public service. Her grandfather fought in the Vietnam and Korean Wars while her father served in the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and the US Invasion of Panama. As a child, her parents and grandparents taught her the importance of college and the benefits of what they referred to as a “civil service job.” She followed in the footsteps of those before her and ultimately landed at DCAA. “I like to believe someone working for DCAA supported my family, the taxpayer, at home and protected my family fighting in the war,” stated Essence, “so it is personally gratifying to know I can continue this meaningful cycle of service.”
Just as Ms. Williams learned from her parents and grandparents the importance of service and having the ability to serve, she is teaching her son about his family’s history, their struggles as black Americans, and showing him how proudly his grandparents and great grandparents served our country, which hopefully will influence his future decisions in a positive way. “Black people in America have not always had the opportunity to serve their country and for this reason, it is imperative that we keep our young people abreast of their history,” says Essence. She believes part of her responsibility as a mother is to educate her son on the importance of the sacrifices his grandparents made to be in the military and to be public servants. She has opened doors for her son, but will continue to teach him those doors were first opened by his grandparents and great grandparents.