In this episode, Captain Laurel Foster, Executive Officer (XO) to the Director, NGB Comptroller, in the National Guard Bureau Joint Staff, tells us about being a native Alaskan (Cu'pik) and a member of the National Guards in Alaska. She explains how joining the military gave her a new sense of belonging and purpose after growing up between rural and urban Alaska as a half Cup'ik and half white. And we talk about how this complex heritage has become her strength, advocating for more inclusivity in the National Guards - and Alaskan society at large.