By Susan Gallagher, American Red Cross

Born in South Korea, Younkyeong Bang left home to follow her soldier husband. Over the past eight years, she has lived at Fort Hood in Texas, Camp Humphreys in South Korea and now at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

Younkyeong was a skilled administrative and call center employee, but in the U.S, she struggled to find a job in these fields. “As someone new to the community, it was difficult to compete for the few open administrative positions,” she said.

Searching for a new career, Younkyeong was introduced to the Dental Assistant Program through a friend who had completed it years ago. “She told me that the program played a significant role in helping her begin her career,” Younkyeong explained.  This tuition-free program has been offered at Fort Leonard Wood since 2005 by the American Red Cross. It provides training and education in dental assistance work to military spouses, plus retired military members and their spouses. As one of its many services to military families, the Red Cross supports the program on bases around the world.

Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Julia is a Hmong American whose parents immigrated to the United States from Thailand and Laos. The mother of five has been an Army spouse for the past 11 years. She and her husband, Capt. Seng Pao Moua, recently returned to Fort Leonard Wood after relocating from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska. Capt. Moua serves as a Small Group Instructor for the Army's Captain's Career Course at the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence.

Earlier in their marriage, Julia worked in administrative roles before deciding to dedicate her time to raising her family. Passionate about serving others, she remained active in volunteer work. After her youngest child entered preschool and her oldest prepared to leave for college, Julia began searching for volunteer opportunities at Fort Leonard Wood. She discovered the American Red Cross Dental Assistant Program and applied.

Yurany Henderson, who found out about the program on Facebook, was the third graduate of the class. She, too, married an Army man, Michael Henderson, who was stationed at Schofield Barracks, the largest Army base in Hawaii. Yurany grew up in the mountains of Columbia, in a town called Medellin which is known as the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ due to its warm and pleasant year-round climate. Moving to Fort Leonard Wood in 2025, the Midwest winters were quite a change for Yurany.  “The primary difference was the temperature,” she said. “We arrived in Missouri on January 1, and I was shocked at how cold it was!” Another adjustment for Yurany was trying to find work, despite having completed a dental assistant program in her native country of Columbia and excellent English.

This is a common challenge for military spouses. "Starting over in a new place is always challenging, and I believe many Army spouses face the same situation because every few years you relocate," Younkyeong said. "For me, this program is about much more than learning dental assisting skills. It has allowed me to build a strong foundation for a new career, gain confidence, stay motivated, and stay connected with the Army community."