ARMED FORCES DAY FEATURE: KYLE SOLIZ, US ARMY

BY SUZIE WELLS

AsArmedForcesDayapproaches(May20ththisyear), I didn’t have to think hard to nd an extraordinary service member to feature in this column. Kyle Soliz is my cousin, and the daughter and niece of Army veterans. She is now serving her third deployment, this time in Iraq, and all of us are so proud of who she is and all that she has accomplished. Even as she nears Army retirement, we know she will go far, helping people and making the world a better place in her future pursuits as well.

Kyle says she always knew she’d join the Army; she “never had a Plan B.” When she was 13 years old and her older brother, Dan, enlisted, Kyle knew that was the lifestyle and tradition she wanted to follow, and she enlisted as a healthcare specialist (combat medic) four years later. She cares for soldiers in clinic and eld settings, trains other medics and medical specialties, and provides aid station medical care during deployments.

is July marks 14 years Kyle has served in the Army, and she says, “ e culture and structure became my home, so to speak – the military has become my identity. Each unit, duty station, and deployment becomes my extended family and home. At rst, each re-enlistment was for my own personal and professional growth, and then I continued my contracts to mentor others.” In March 2023, Kyle swore her nal oath of enlistment.

Kyle has served in a few roles throughout her career. For the rst three years, she served as an evacuation and aid station medic in Iraq. She then became an emergency medical treatment NCO responsible for a eld emergency department in Afghanistan, working with Spanish medical personnel. She has served as a basic training Drill Sergeant, run a 36-bed emergency room, managed a hospital education department, and currently works within eld hospital operations in Iraq.

She is grateful for the experiences and people she’s met along the way. She met her friend Matt at Ft. Bliss, Texas over a decade ago and they were stationed together again in Tripler, Hawaii, where their families spent almost every weekend together. When Kyle served as a Drill Sergeant, she and her friend Amanda “always found time to be human and get a few laughs in” amidst their stern, serious roles.

Kyle says a key lesson she has learned in her career is to be adaptable. She says, “Nothing about my profession now is what it was like thirteen years ago. My training will never stop. I will always learn something new every day.” And she says, “I have also learned you are never too old for a Nerf gun battle in the middle of your operations tent.”

Challenges have been countless throughout her career. She says 12-mile ruck marches, repelling, and running more miles than her legs would like to acknowledge challenges the body. Testing technical and tactical knowledge almost every day mentally challenges her. And being away from home and family much more than she would ever want challenges her emotionally. But to handle the challenges, she says, “I remember the greater purpose of my position, making a di erence for my Soldiers, the mission, and the Unit. Challenges are what shape me and make me who I am.”

Especially poignant for her was a “full circle” moment she’ll never forget: “My father was a member of the Finger Lakes Disabled American Veterans, and the term pride doesn’t begin to capture his passion supporting it. My entire youth was lessons on respecting and caring for our veterans. One year a er he passed, I was selected to be part of the 161st Infantry Regiment color guard, presenting the national colors for the unit’s reunion. I had the honor to spend a weekend with these gentlemen and learn from their time served. In every one of their stories and faces, I saw my father and listened with his ears and mind.”

Kyle spends her o -time with her husband and threeyear-old son, “which means a lot of children’s museums, zoos, and events.” She enjoys James Patterson, Elin Hildebrand, and Jodi Picolt novels, and has become a scarf crocheting master, even when it’s too warm to wear them.

She intends to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, retire as a Master Sergeant, and move the family to a quiet piece of land either in NY or CO. She says, “I want to be as present as I possibly can in my son’s life and enjoy the simple pleasures. My current passion beyond my family is self development. I push to make myself as healthy and well-rounded as I can be, not only to secure a stable future a er retirement, but to provide a sound example for my son and continue to make a di erence any way I can.” ank you for your service, Kyle!

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To Your Good Health

By Keith Roach, M.D.