JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – It’s Mission Monday! Meet Tech. Sgt. Dani Pierson, a certified drug and alcohol counselor and mental health technician at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.
A member of the Air Force Security Forces Center Confinement and Corrections Directorate, Pierson provides counseling to incarcerated military individuals to rehabilitate and help them avoid reoffending once released from the brig.
“I power the world’s greatest Air Force by keeping those who serve mentally ready to face the challenges of being in the military.” she said.
We asked Pierson, born and raised in Marion, Indiana, to tell us more about herself and the work she does for DAF.
What do you love about your job?
I love being able to help people. The military can be tough on those serving since they are away from their hometown and families for a significant amount of time. My job has given me unique experiences in a variety of areas such as the partial inpatient substance abuse treatment program, rehabilitating incarcerated individuals, the Wounded Warrior program and the morgue. I also aided with the commissioning of a ship by escorting the Secretary of the Navy.
When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?
I love to see the change in the people I am working with. It really is rewarding to see a positive outcome in what a very difficult job can be.
Why are you and your team important to the Air Force and Space Force enterprise and your customers?
We teach incarcerated individuals new skills to avoid making the same mistake they did to end up in the brig. We also find follow-up treatment in their community, so they don’t feel like they don’t have anyone to turn to when they are released. We truly care about the people who come into our clinic and that positively impacts the change we see.
Describe a project or event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:
Our team recently came together to assist a challenging inmate by assuring he was given proper care, his needs were met and ensured a safe arrival and departure.
Why do you serve and what keeps you serving?
I keep serving because I love what I do and being a part of the Air Force. It is very rewarding to see the progress of the individuals I work with. Seeing them end treatment in a better spot than when they came in is worth every second.
How does what you do support AFIMSC’s strategic priorities?
We are strengthening service members across all four branches to be successful when they are released from the brig. Once a person is a service member, they represent the entire military community, so we do our best to help them improve as individuals and prepare them before they transition back to civilian life.