Troubled student returns to Olivehurst after successful stint in the military

Jun. 11—Alyssa Lamberti's two young boys tottled around the living room Wednesday morning, showing off their collection of godzillas and dinosaurs. For the last three years, this has been the normal ongoing of Lamberti's life as a full-time mom and student after serving a two-year stint in the military.

Looking at Lamberti's beaming smile and soft demeanor, it's hard to imagine this woman was the first female to enlist as a 12B combat engineer in the U.S. Army out of Yuba City and Sacramento's Military Entrance Processing Station. The term 12B or 12 Bravo refers to explosives, route clearance, and the construction of fighting or defensive positions. Lamberti's job was to test certain explosives and tie knots in the wires of C4 to their detonators.

"I love explosions and fire," said Lamberti. "I'm a bit of a pyro, but I also love history."

Lamberti was inspired by the film "The Hurt Locker" as a child, which was loosely based off the accounts of Mark Boal, a freelance journalist who spent two weeks with an American bomb squad and EOD technicians during the Iraq War.

"Working in 12 Bravo was the next closest thing I could do to becoming an EOD technician," added Lamberti excitedly.

Not only was Lamberti the first woman in the area to enlist in this field, she was also the only woman on her squad for an extended period of time. This honor came with its own set of challenges and, like many woman in the armed forces, Lamberti was the victim of sexual harassment and assault. Her primary perpetrator received a dishonorable discharge and Lamberti was awarded VA benefits in the form of MST, "military sexual trauma," to help combat the emotional and psychological scars of the event. This, coupled with her and her husband's first pregnancy, prompted Lamberti to leave the military.

After being stationed in Texas, deployed to Kuwait, and spending some time with her in-laws in Virginia, Lamberti made her way back home to Olivehurst to be with family and assist her mother who was diagnosed with renal failure.

In May, Lamberti graduated with honors from Yuba College with two associate degrees, one in history and the other in general science. In the fall, this young veteran plans to continue her education at Chico State University to pursue a teaching credential and a bachelor's degree in history.

"Joining the military, even for just two years, gave me benefits I never would have had otherwise," said Lamberti. "My husband and I were able to purchase a home with no down payment and the GI bill has allowed me to take college classes for free."

Things are going well for Lamberti now, but this wasn't always the case, especially during her turbulent teen years. Coming from a low-income family, Lamberti said she struggled in school and to find productive activities in her community. These issues resulted in her expulsion from Lindhurst High School during her sophomore year due to possession of paraphernalia and usage.

After that, Lamberti homeschooled for a year with little success and attended summer school along with mandatory drug classes.

"I came back to school in my junior year and it was really hard for me to pick back up," said Lamberti. "It wasn't easy, but I still did it and I passed."

Fresh out of high school, at just 18 years old, Lamberti began talking with local recruiters and eventually settled on joining the U.S. Army.

"Things just weren't going well for me here," said Lamberti. "The Army recruiter and I just clicked, and they offered me a job that I was excited for. Plus we both really liked 'Dragon Ball Z.'"

In order to qualify for enlistment, Lamberti was instructed to drop 20 pounds. Between frequent runs and implementing a healthier diet, Lamberti lost a total of 35 pounds in just four months.

Now, as a civilian, Lamberti feels drawn to return to Lindhurst High School and address some of the issues she struggled with as a youth. She hopes to become a history teacher there and implement a curriculum of interactive scenes, plays, and presentations that involve the students and utilize the school's performance space. This idea was inspired by a history class in which she and five other female classmates led a self-written production on human sex trafficking. The performance was based on their collective research and desire to raise awareness on the issue.

"I think that was the only class I passed with an A that year," added Lamberti.

Lamberti strongly encourages other young people, especially those who are unsure of where they want to go in life, to join the armed forces for the boost it can give to their futures. When asked if she had any final piece of advice for local youth struggling in and out of school, Lamberti replied:

"Just don't give up, I know it seems like everything just keeps falling against you, but all it takes is one change to make everything clear."