Retiring With Class: Lieutenant Colonel (USAFR Ret) Julie Ziegenhorn is calling it a day to spend more time with family

Julie Ziegenhorn is a Christian woman who loves God, loves her family, loves life, treats others right, and has worked hard for over 40 years. And after 37 years of military and civilian service as a Public Affairs Specialist, Lieutenant Colonel (USAFR Ret) Ziegenhorn is riding off into the sunset on her way to a much deserved retirement.

“She gets up at 5:30 in the morning, goes to work and works until her superiors tell her to leave,” Julie’s husband Brian said. “She is extremely dedicated and takes her work very seriously.”

When you work for the Air Force for 32 years and the Navy for another five, you leave no doubt in anybody’s mind that you are dedicated to your work. And to your country.

As Brian said, Julie has always been very dedicated. She does not take her job for granted, and her superiors have never taken her for granted. They are grateful for all the hard work and determination Julie has put into her job for the past 37 years.

Coming from the background Julie comes from, it should not be a surprise to anyone that she spent all her working years serving this country proud. She comes from a military family, and she wanted the opportunity to carry the torch.

“She comes from a military family,” Brian said. “She joined the Air Force when she was right out of college. She has worked in military and civilian service. All the time she has worked and all the time she has put in has been amazing.”

Julie has worked countless hours at her jobs and she has always gone above and beyond. She never just did the task at hand, but always worked to accomplish other things she knew needed to be done.

“She is the hardest worker I know who is driven, puts in her time, is dedicated and drives others around her to be successful and motivated,” her daughter Jennifer said. “I grew up watching how she works and I try to strive to be just as dedicated.”

When you have a mom who is as hardworking and devoted as Julie is, all you can do is hope and pray that you can one day be half of the working woman that she is. Just ask Jennifer, her sister Madison or step-siblings Joseph and Danielle what kind of influence Julie has had on them.

There are so many things that make Julie good at her job too. It goes far beyond just her hard work.

“She is organized, cares, puts forth the effort on a day to day basis and understands that the little things matter,” Jennifer said.

When you perfect your craft as well as Julie has, all these things start to come naturally. She never had to think twice about putting in the extra effort and hours because it has always been part of her.

It is through this character and this devotion that has always made the people she’s worked with, and for, miss Julie when she leaves. And this time will be no different.

“The best thing I can say about her is that everyone she has worked with has had extreme respect for her,” Brian said. “She is a classy, sensitive person. It’s a class that she’s held herself to. Wherever she works, she treats everyone the same. She may be a retired Lieutenant Colonel, but she has been a servant to all.”

To Julie, everyone is on a level playing field. She knows she worked hard to get to where she is at in life but has always made others feel valued.

She has always uplifted her coworkers and helped bring out the best in everyone around her, and that is one of the many reasons why Brian has always been so proud of his wife’s work ethic.

“I’m proud of just how well she handles work without getting frustrated,” he said. “She is the hardest working person I have ever met. She is the same person no matter what is going on in her life. The way she juggles work and personal life is amazing.”

There is so much to be said about this amazing woman. Her great work ethic and devotion. She definitely deserves to have a great retirement. Her family and her coworkers alike wish Julie nothing but the best, and they hope she enjoys her retirement.

“She has put in so many hours, day in and day out for everyone else for years. She deserves to put herself first and enjoy relaxation on the beach and family time.” – Jennifer

“What a consistently loving, classy, generous, dedicated person she is and always has been and will be. It is hard to put into words how hard she has worked for the last 37 years to support her family, whatever the mission, wherever she has worked or been stationed in her career. She has earned the respect of four star generals and all of her superiors and peers wherever she worked. All class.” – Brian