CHERRY POINT, N.C. - “I hope she understands hard work and dedication can be rewarding and you can have an amazing career and be a wife and a mother,” says Commander Alana Huber when asked about what she hopes young women see when they look at her 22 years of service and accomplishments in the United States Navy. “Find your passion and it will rarely feel like work.”

Huber, a Nurse Corps Officer serving as the Medical Forensic Nurse Examiner at Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point, commissioned in 1999 through the Navy medicine Officer Candidate Program. During her career, she deployed twice; once upon the USNS Comfort in 2005 and again in 2010 as an Individual Augmentee to Joint Task Force Medical Group, Guantanamo Bay.

Huber’s daughter and a passion to give her the very best life she could inspired Huber to serve in the Armed Forces. Her father’s service as a Navy Corpsman motivated Huber to specifically join the Navy.

“Being a mom has been the most challenging and rewarding aspect of my career; I started out with one child and now I have five!” says Huber. “I have come to learn that quality time is much more important than quantity when raising a family.”

Huber overcame that challenge by learning to balance her work and home life and striving to have an end time of every work day. Practicing effective time management in your professional work makes your personal life less stressful and more fulfilling, she says. She also credits having a husband who equally shares responsibilities while always being there for her as the secret to her continued success.

“I have had several strong mentors, but one that stands out is [Navy] Captain Dawn Freeman. Although we had different career paths, she always made time to let me vent and bounce my ideas off of her,” says Huber. “She gives great advice, event when I don’t want to hear it and she has an extraordinary gift of knowing how to build me up when I need it most.”

Huber retires in early April, 2021 after more than 22 years of service in the United States Navy to pursue a career as a Medical Forensic Legal Consultant in the areas of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence and Military Sexual Trauma.

Her advice to young women considering joining the military; now is a great time and there is no limit to what you can accomplish serving our nation.

“Find a mentor and soak up every bit of knowledge you can from them. The experience and wisdom of others are the most valuable resource you have available.”