Rachel Washburn spent her college years at Drexel University as a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader. While it was a great experience for the young beauty, it was not her true calling. Once she graduated, she enlisted in the Army and participated in paratrooper training. Washburn spent two tours in Afghanistan focusing on military intelligence.
She had a specific goal when she was overseas, to connect with women of other cultures. She became part of the Cultural Support Team which helped place women in special units for the purpose of connecting to women living in that area.
She told USA Today, “We kind of noticed that women everywhere share certain similarities. They obviously care about their home, their children. Women everywhere love pretty things. So if we wore a pretty head scarf, it would be like an icebreaker.”
While there, she even got the chance to deliver a baby. Washburn comes from a military family; her father was an Army helicopter pilot and she always knew she would follow in his footsteps. During the Eagles game against the Chicago Bears, she will be introduced as a “Hometown Hero”. Now that she is home from her second tour, she is definitely a role model.
