This year, to celebrate Veterans Day, we would like to highlight two Wawenock Veterans. We are immensely proud of the service of Major Anne Cloud in the U.S. Air Force and Lieutenant Commander Kristin Lyles Shaw in the U.S. Navy. We are honored to know them as campers and staff here at Wawenock, and inspired by their dedication and achievements in service to our country.
Major Anne Cloud (Camper ‘68-70’)
Anne Cloud started her military career in the active-duty Army in 1981. After Basic Military and Laboratory Technician training, she was assigned to the United States Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick MD, working in research on Anthrax. Upon completing her active-duty commitment, she spent time in the Army Reserves 348th General Hospital in Folsom, PA.
In March of 1993, Anne joined the Delaware Air National Guard (DE ANG), 166th Medical Group, as a Laboratory Technician. She was then accepted to start Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) training with an Army Reserve unit, but as a member of the DE ANG. She was the first and only member of the DE ANG to graduate from this program, which resulted in her changing her career path. She attended multiple schools throughout her military career, and after completing her Associates in Nursing, Anne received a commission as a Nurse and was assigned to the 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (part of the DE ANG).
As a Flight Nurse, she was part of a crew that typically consisted of two Flight Nurses and three Medical Technicians. Their mission is to move members of the military and coalition forces, their dependents, and retirees on fixed-wing aircraft. The back of the airplane is transformed into a flying hospital and these patients would be taken to a higher echelon of care. Her missions ranged from Afghanistan to Djibouti to Kadena, Japan, and more.
Over the course of nine deployments, Anne served as a Medical Technician, Independent Duty Medical Technician, and as a Flight Nurse. During her final deployment in 2021, she was the Chief Nurse at the 10th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. There she was responsible for six crews, supporting COVID and non-COVID missions in support of Operations FREEDOM’S SENTINEL and COVID-19 SUPPORT.
Additionally, Anne was the senior Flight Nurse Evaluator for her unit and completed instruction and evaluations of other Flight Nurses, ensuring their readiness to respond to CONUS (Continental United States) and OCONUS (Outside the Continental United States) deployments. Her recognitions include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, AF Outstanding Unit Award, Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with bronze star device, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, and Army NCO Professional Development.
Upon retiring in September 2021, she served for a total of just shy of 34 years, and with the rank of Major. Anne writes that “It was an honor to serve, and it truly meant so much to me to care for our sick and wounded.” Anne currently lives in Delaware and has two children, Danielle Martin (Staff ‘07, Camper ‘03-’06), and Brandon Christopher.
Lieutenant Commander Kristin Shaw (Camper ‘00-’05, Staff ‘05, ‘07)
Kristin (Lyles) Shaw graduated in 2010 from the United States Naval Academy where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. She also earned a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University in 2017.
At sea, Kristin’s assignments included tours as the Electrical Officer and Communicator on the USS GEORGIA (SSGN 729) (GOLD), Navigator/Operations Officer then Engineer Officer on the USS JOHN WARNER (SSN 785), and she is currently the Prospective Executive Officer for USS NEW MEXICO (SSN 779). At these assignments, she completed deployments to the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and the Northern Atlantic and had the privilege to serve with crews earning multiple Battle Efficiency Awards and unit commendations.
Ashore, Kristin served as a Tactics Instructor and the Modernization Training Team Officer in Charge at Submarine Learning Facility Norfolk and as a Junior Board Member on the Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board at U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Kristin is the 2020 recipient of the Naval Submarine League VADM Charles Lockwood Award for Professional Excellence and an honorable mention for the 2020 CAPT Joy Bright Hancock Leadership Award.
Kristin was also among the first group of female officers to serve on a submarine after the Navy lifted the ban in 2010. Her recognitions include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards), and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards).
Kristin is a native of Fairfax Station, Virginia. She is married to Lieutenant Dylan J. Shaw and she is the stepmother to a son, Isaac, and a daughter, Izzy (camper ‘17-’19), and the mother of one son, Cooper.
Thank you, Anne and Kristin, for your service. And to all Veterans…Happy Veterans Day!
We acknowledge that there may be other Wawenock Veterans not featured in this post. If you are an alumnae Veteran or know an Alumnae Veteran, please reach out to us via email so we can reconnect and learn more about your/their service.