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June's Veteran Of The Month: Trista Matascastillo

Trista Matascastillo began her 16-year military career in 1992 where she served as an Avionic Technician in the United States Navy and was the first woman to serve in her command.

She trained as an officer in the United States Marine Corps and, later Commissioned in the Minnesota Army National Guard. While serving in the Minnesota Guard, Matascastillo served as the first woman Air Defense officer and, later, the first female commander of the 34th Military Police Company.

Since 2008, Trista has been employed as the Government Relations Senior Associate for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Trista serves as the Chair of the Minnesota Women Veterans Initiative Working Group and as Vice President of the United Nations Association. She is involved with Veterans programs at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for Autism and Veterans Health Research, the Minneapolis VA Hospital, Habitat for Humanity International, and the University of Minnesota's A.D.A.P.T. program, Humanitarian Assistance Program EMDR and the Veterans Voices Project with the Minnesota Humainties Center.

Trista was recently honored as the 2011 Minnesota Woman Veteran of the Year.

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