ARMY CAPT. PATRICIA D. CIKA Chief of operational law for the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq She is the daughter of Dolores A. Cika of Liberty and the late Andrew Cika. Her fianc & eacute;
On her job in the Army
I feel blessed to be able to be what I have always wanted to be -- a lawyer -- and still jump out of airplanes and serve my country. Nowhere else in the world can you be a lawyer who jumps out of airplanes to get to your office.
On Ohio and home
Every time the plane touches the ground in Ohio, I am in a good mood. When I get to Ohio, driving or flying, I feel the genuine friendliness and patriotism of Ohio.
On her father
My father and my Uncle Frank, who lived with us, were World War II veterans, and most of their friends were. We raised the flag in formation at my house, and typical of Youngstown, Memorial Day was not just a day off. It was a day of conscious remembrance. We are still active in the Polish Legion of American Veterans.
My father held a lifelong love of the military and taught me a fierce love of country. It was his idea that I try for an ROTC scholarship, and I fought him, as that's what any self-respecting 17-year-old would do. But he told me: "I am your father. I know you better than you know yourself. Just humor me."
And he was right. A few months later, I was rappelling headfirst off the side of the Ohio State stadium, running in formation in the wee hours of the morning, and I was proud to be in uniform when I went to class. He encouraged me and watched with approval, and that was more than I needed to keep going. I often think I can hear him still encouraging me, always saying "Good job, Babe. You can do it," until I am about to jump, and I always hear him say, "Now this -- this part is a bunch of crap."