Supporting the next generation of military health care leaders

Pauletta Blueitt ’81 served in a key leadership role during one of the nation’s most challenging health responses following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Now, the San Antonio, Texas, resident and her husband, Odis ’82, have committed to helping the Texas A&M University School of Public Health prepare future generations of public health professionals to perform at the highest level in protecting human health.

The couple created the Pauletta D. Blueitt ’81 Col, USAF, Ret. & Odis R. Blueitt, ’82 COL, USA, RET Endowed Scholarship Award, which supports an undergraduate Aggie majoring in public health. In addition, the scholarship gives preference to a member of the Corps of Cadets.

“We wanted to simultaneously honor the Corps’ core values and our passion for public health,” said Blueitt, who in 2021 was the first female inducted into the Corps Hall of Fame. “We hope others will follow suit and help support the next generation of military public health leaders.”

Breaking new ground

Born in Nacogdoches, Texas, Blueitt’s family—which included her two brothers—moved briefly to Memphis, Tennessee. When Blueitt was four years old, her single mother decided to return to Nacogdoches to be closer to her parents. While the family at times struggled financially, Blueitt said she felt supported throughout her childhood by the family’s loving relationships and never felt a sense of lack.

When she reached high school, Blueitt wasn’t thinking about joining the military. However, after performing well on the SAT exam, she was offered an ROTC scholarship. Surprised, the teenager didn’t understand the offer’s significance until her mother and stepfather explained that they couldn’t afford to pay for her college education—but the scholarship would cover tuition and other expenses as long as she participated in an Air Force ROTC program at a university.

Blueitt began exploring her options based on her parents’ stipulation that she had to remain in Texas. She chose Texas A&M University because of the beautiful campus, friendly people and the small College Station community, which then had a population of 30,000.

However, she soon found out that her initial quest to enjoy more independence as a college student didn’t align with the Corps of Cadets’ culture of discipline.

“I was told what time to get up, what time to go to bed, what time to eat and what time to sleep,” she said, laughing. “I tried to figure out how I could keep my scholarship, go to Texas A&M and not be in the Corps, but that was not an option.”

She also unexpectedly found herself in the role of a groundbreaker as a Black student and a member of the fourth freshman class of female cadets.

“At the time, there was one female outfit, W-1, and it was only me and two other Black females who came in as freshmen together,” said Blueitt, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business. “Texas A&M wasn’t very diverse at the time, so that, coupled with the fact that most of the male cadets didn’t want women there, was a little intimidating.”

However, these experiences helped Blueitt, who served as a first sergeant as a junior and squadron commander as a senior, build a strong foundation of leadership skills that served her well in her career. She also used the experience to create a path for other Black and female Aggies to attend Texas A&M and join the Corps of Cadets.

Serving the nation

After graduation, Blueitt was commissioned as second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and ended up focusing her career on financial and resource management for the Air Force Medical Service Corps. She also earned a master’s degree in health administration from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

After Sept. 11, 2001, she found herself in the spotlight when she was placed in charge of a tri-service emergency operations center that reported the status to the White House of any 9/11 victims at the Pentagon and military beneficiaries affected at the World Trade Center attacks. As a result, she was invited to attend the National Prayer Service held at the National Cathedral.

“It was surreal because we sat 10 or so rows behind all the living presidents, and a television camera boom was right above me,” she said. “When the service ended, my cell phone started blowing up because the camera had zoomed in on me a few times. To this day, people still say, ‘I saw you on TV.’”

Her final posting was at San Antonio’s Randolph Air Force Base, where she served as the deputy command surgeon and command administrator at Headquarters Air Education and Training Command. That unit was dedicated to the education and training of all Air Force medical personnel in all career fields. Additionally, Blueitt served as an advisor and mentor to junior officers in the Air Force Medical Service Corps.

Now Blueitt, the mother of three, is proudly watching her middle daughter, Brawnlyn ’13, continue the family’s legacy of military service. After joining the Corps of Cadets and earning an international policy and diplomacy degree at Texas A&M, Brawnlyn was commissioned into the Air Force. Recently promoted early to major, she works as an Air Force intelligence officer.

Reinvesting her energy

After hanging up her own uniform, Blueitt remains committed to serving her community, church and Texas A&M. She’s currently a member of the Corps of Cadets’ Board of Visitors, remains active in the Corps’ alumni activities, and has made presentations on leadership topics to the cadets.

“I enjoy helping people try to become the best version of themselves,” she said.

Blueitt and her husband were also approached by the School of Public Health because of their respective health care careers. At the time, Blueitt hadn’t encountered public health while she was in the Air Force, but she quickly understood the importance of this approach and became an advocate.

“Direct health care is different from public health, but it’s all connected,” she said. “Public health issues such as clean water, maternal and child health care, disparity of health care in the rural communities, urban community settings among people of color, and other environmental factors all impact individuals’ health and, as a result, play into the actual direct health care system.”

Impressed with the school’s work, Blueitt has stepped onto the school’s Dean’s Advisory Board. She and her husband also have hosted informational events in the San Antonio area—and are looking for more ways to support the school in the future.

“Public health is so critically important to the lives of every American and every person worldwide,” she said. “We need to support the School of Public Health so it can continue doing leading-edge work and bringing in high-quality students who are going to fill all those leadership positions and work on those different facets of public health in the future.”