LINTHICUM, MD, December 1, 2020— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Major Jessica Astorga, USAF, Retired, as the NFM Salute for December 2020.
From a young age, Astorga knew she wanted to become a nurse and serve in the Air Force. After graduating from the University of Auburn with a nursing degree, the Alabama native was commissioned as an Officer in 2000.
She was deployed to Iraq in 2007, and later to Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011. In both deployments, she worked as a critical care nurse in combat theater hospitals, where she worked long hours tending to the injured. However, not all the wounded she cared for were her comrades. Sometimes they were local civilians or even prisoners of war. Astorga recalls, “I had a lot of moral battles and ethical battles while I was there and deployed in those areas. [They’re] human beings as well and when I became a nurse in the military, we take care of all casualties, no matter if it’s our soldiers or the enemy.” If being a nurse in a combat zone wasn’t challenging enough, Astorga also had to navigate a still very male-dominated profession. She said, “I felt like I had to continuously prove myself to my peers, my male counterparts, [and] my male superiors.”
When she returned from her second deployment, Astorga had trouble finding her place within society, and it took a toll on her mentally. Her struggle with depression led her to an early medical retirement in 2013. Following her military career, Astorga worked as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) at two private hospitals in Dayton, OH. The emotional pain she endured was still difficult to bear, and she sought support from various Veteran-oriented programs. One day, she came across Women Veterans Network, or WoVeN. WoVeN is a nationwide community of female Veterans whose mission is to provide support and sisterhood to its members. The ideals of WoVeN resonated with Astorga so much that she decided to become a Peer Leader and started a chapter in the Dayton area. Volunteering with WoVeN gave Astorga a new purpose in life: to let women Veterans know they matter and have not been forgotten.
While deployed, Astorga would often watch Peyton Manning’s football games in the breakroom during her downtime. Watching her favorite player gave her a sense of comfort and home during her overseas assignments. On November 8th, Astorga was surprised with a video call from Peyton Manning, who thanked her for her service and her work with WoVeN as a part of the NFL’s “Salute to Service”. She has also been featured in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ national campaign, I Am Not Invisible, which recognizes female Veterans for their contributions.
Astorga still resides in Dayton, OH. She enjoys spending time with her family and connecting with her WoVeN sisters. Along with lifting others up, Astorga is taking more time to care for herself. “I had been taking care of so many people in my life–patients, family–that I decided I [want to] take care of myself right now,” she says. “That’s where I am; working on a lot of things for [my] mental and physical health, as the years of being in a stressful work environment and all of that I’ve done have, of course, affected me physically.” Astorga is currently training to become a Veteran’s yoga instructor so she can help fellow Veterans with physicality through meditation and mindfulness.
NFM Salute is an initiative in which one military member or Veteran is chosen each month to be honored as the “Salute of the Month.” Salutes are chosen from nominations on the NFM Salute website, www.nfmsalute.com. The “Salute of the Month” will be featured on the website with a biography and information about his or her service, and NFM Lending will donate to a military or Veteran non-profit in the Salute’s name.
NFM Lending is proud to donate $2,500 to Veterans Yoga Project on behalf of Astorga. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.
About NFM Lending
NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 41 states in the U.S. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. NFM Lending and its family of companies includes Main Street Home Loans, BluPrint Home Loans, and Freedmont Mortgage Group. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their steadfast commitment to customers and the community. NFM Lending has firmly planted itself in the home loan marketplace as “America’s Common Sense Residential Mortgage Lender.™” For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Instagram.
LINTHICUM, MD, August 3, 2020— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Colonel Kevin Sellers, USAF, Retired, as the NFM Salute for August 2020.
COL Sellers served in the Air Force from 1995 to 2020. His distinguished military career began after he graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. The early years of his profession had him stationed at Elgin and Tinker Air Force Base, where he made lifelong connections with his fellow Airmen. He was stationed to Karshi-Khanabad Air Force Base in Uzbekistan in 2003 to assist with Operation ENDURING FREEDOM as an Executive Officer.
From 2011 to 2012, COL Sellers acted as DCMA-Iraq Deputy Group Commander and assisted with the peaceful transition of power to Iraqi locals. He played an integral role in safely withdrawing troops and contractors from Iraq during Operation NEW DAWN. He achieved the rank of Colonel in 2016.
His most recent position was Chief, C-5M Super Galaxy Division, Mobility and Training Aircraft Directorate, at Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Robins Air Force Base, GA. In this role, COL Sellers provided integrated logistical support for the 52 C-5M aircraft and oversaw 220 personnel. As the manager of the Division’s $3.1B annual budget, he helped formulate strategies for the modernization and modification of the C-5 aircraft.
Ever since he was at the Air Force Academy, COL Sellers sought to challenge himself. His professional achievements have shown he stayed true to his personal goal, and it also extended into the classroom. Even with a full-time career in the military, COL Sellers continued to advance his education and earned his MBA in 2000 and Juris Doctor in 2005 from Oklahoma City University.
COL Sellers retired from the Air Force in May 2020 after 25 years of service. As someone who has committed himself to the military, COL Sellers has advice for anyone interested in pursuing the same career.
“I would tell them to enjoy their service and continue to seek opportunities,” he says. “There are so many opportunities for personal and professional improvement. There are opportunities to do great in your career field, and then at certain points in your career, to branch out and do different things. So it’s important to really understand the mechanics of those opportunities and the processes for taking advantage of all that the military has to offer.”
During his career, COL Sellers has been awarded 10 awards and distinctions, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Iraq Campaign Medal with service star, and the Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal.
COL Sellers resides in Grapevine, TX with his wife, Angela. He is the proud father of Tyler, Brookelyn, Kylee, and Adilyn, and grandfather of Lilith. Tyler is following in his father’s military footsteps by serving as an Army Staff Sergeant, currently on his second deployment. Now that he is retired, COL Sellers looks forward to reconnecting with friends and family and getting to enjoy “lake life”.
NFM Salute is an initiative in which one military member or Veteran is chosen each month to be honored as the “Salute of the Month.” Salutes are chosen from nominations on the NFM Salute website, www.nfmsalute.com. The “Salute of the Month” will be featured on the website with a biography and information about his or her service, and NFM Lending will donate to a military or Veteran non-profit in the Salute’s name.
NFM Lending is proud to donate $2,500 to Gary Sinise Foundation on behalf of COL Sellers. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.
About NFM Lending
NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 41 states in the U.S. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. NFM Lending and its family of companies includes Main Street Home Loans, BluPrint Home Loans, and Freedmont Mortgage Group. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their steadfast commitment to customers and the community. NFM Lending has firmly planted itself in the home loan marketplace as “America’s Common Sense Residential Mortgage Lender.™” For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Instagram.
LINTHICUM, MD, February 1, 2017— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Lea Everette as the NFM Salute for February 2017.
Everette is a Technical Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. She is an F-22 Avionics Systems Maintainer at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, VA, and has been a member of the Air Force for nine years. She is a wife and a mother to four daughters and two dogs, and has traveled everywhere from California to Japan during her service.
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to maintain this 5th Generation Weapons system and serve my country,” said Everette.
Everette was nominated by her father, Grafton Davis.
“Lea has always strived to do her best, and she has always been a high achiever,” said Davis. “In elementary school, she was one of a few students chosen to attend Space Camp in Florida. I think that was when she decided on an AERO career. But rather than select a NASA career, she decided to join the Air Force and ROTC. She was at the top of her class in leadership school, and before graduation from high school she signed up for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). And it’s been the USAF since. She also is involved with an organization that helps Veterans upon return. She loves ocean fishing too, and has caught some real trophy-size fish!”
NFM Salutes is an initiative in which one military member or Veteran is chosen each month to be honored as the “Salute of the Month.” Salutes are chosen from nominations on the NFM Salute website, www.nfmsalute.com. The “Salute of the Month” will be featured on the website with a brief biography and information about his or her service, and NFM Lending will make a $2,500 donation to a military or Veteran non-profit in the Salute’s name. Everette chose the Gary Sinise Foundation to receive this month’s donation.
Selected NFM Salutes may choose from one of the following four non-profits: Platoon 22, AnySoldier, Soldier’s Wish, and the Gary Sinise Foundation. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.
About NFM Lending
NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 29 states in the U.S. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their steadfast commitment to customers and the community. NFM Lending has firmly planted itself in the home loan marketplace as “America’s Common Sense Residential Mortgage Lender.™” For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter.
For the online press release, click here.