Featured Community Story | Women’s Veterans Day
In honor of Women’s Veterans Day, FMSN is proud to share the story of Kim Hopkins, a former Army food service specialist whose path to military service began not on a battlefield, but in a professional kitchen.
Kim arrived in the United States in 2008, working as a chef. When the economy collapsed that year, she found herself reconsidering her options. Her then-husband was serving in the Army Reserves and had been deployed overseas. One day, almost on impulse, Kim stopped by a recruiting station and took her ASVAB. She enlisted before her husband even returned home.
“I joined to escape the economy and to have more options available,” Kim recalls. The decision carried weight beyond financial necessity. Through her service, she earned her U.S. citizenship immediately after completing basic training, and went on to complete her Bachelor’s degree while on active duty. Her family back home wasn’t thrilled with her choice, though they supported her from a distance. Her marriage didn’t survive the journey, but Kim is clear about what she gained in her six years of service.
A Mission in the Mess Hall
Kim served in the Army as a 92G, a food service specialist. While cooks in the military often carry an unfair reputation, Kim made it her mission to change that perception. Drawing on her professional culinary background, she competed with the Fort Bragg culinary arts team and baked cakes for countless military ceremonies, earning recognition along the way. “I like to think that I made a difference,” she says.
Like many women in uniform, Kim navigated challenges that went beyond the physical demands of service. “There is a lot of prejudice and bias,” she explains. “We navigate jealousy, rumors, and advances from other Soldiers.” Her approach was to keep her head down and push forward, driven by a clear purpose: building a better future for her children.
Finding Identity Through Service
Looking back on her service, Kim speaks with deep gratitude for the doors it opened. Her education, her experiences on active duty, the chance to see the world, and the ability to contribute to a country that had given her so much all shaped who she became. “I learned to stand above politics and to see freedom that is worth defending,” she reflects. Military service, she says, is humbling. It exposes you to people from every background and walk of life, teaching you about others and ultimately about yourself. “I know that I can do anything I set my mind to.”
A New Kind of Family
Transitioning out of the Army was its own battle. Kim found herself separating from service, searching for employment, and relocating from overseas, all while pregnant with two small children.
She doesn’t carry her veteran status as a badge of entitlement. “I do not feel like I am owed anything for my service,” she says. Applying for civilian jobs taught her a hard truth: most employers don’t care about military service itself, only which skills translate directly to the role. What surprised her most was discovering that the bonds formed in uniform don’t end at discharge. “The military is a brother and sisterhood that stands strong even after we leave the service,” Kim says. In fact, she has found more support within the veteran community than she ever did while on active duty.
Now a veteran and military spouse, Kim says she enjoys this chapter of her life even more than her years in uniform. “I get to choose who I surround myself with, what organizations I support, where I volunteer my time,” she explains. That freedom led her to a community that has become a genuine source of support, both as a veteran and now as a military spouse.
Among the resources that made the biggest difference in her transition, Kim points to organizations like the VFW, local veteran support groups, Veteran Resource Centers, and a Veteran’s Employment Readiness Group she connected with through her workplace.
Celebrating Women’s Service
For Kim, Women’s Veterans Day carries personal significance. “It is a day to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of female veterans,” she says. Women in the military are too often underestimated, viewed as less capable or less impactful than their male counterparts. This day stands as a reminder of just how much women have contributed throughout history.
She’s also eager to dispel a misconception she frequently encounters about foreign-born women in the military. “There is a common misconception that foreign born women only serve in the military to get their citizenship,” Kim says. “This is not true at all.” For many, like her, joining is a way to give back to a country that welcomed them and to find a community that becomes a backbone for those without family nearby in the United States.“
Her advice to other immigrant women and foreign-born military spouses considering service is honest and grounded: weigh the pros and cons carefully. “It isn’t easy“, she says, “but it’s worth it”.
Kim Hopkins’ story reflects the resilience and quiet strength found throughout the FMSN community: a woman who built a life across continents, served her adopted country, and found purpose in lifting others along the way.