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After work, Dunham trades her combat boots for dancing shoes and teaches the basic steps of salsa, bachata and merengue. “The fun I have, I want others to have too. It is fun to see to see them develop and do things they couldn’t do before,” she said.
The salsa bug bit Dunham on her first deployment, which was to Camp Doha, Kuwait. “I’ve been [dancing] for seven years, but I just recently started teaching,” she said.
Her students said they are grateful for the chance to escape the everyday routine of combat life.
“I think the class is a great idea, especially for soldiers who want something to do, or they’ve never done it before,” said Army Spc. Maria Paulino, 2nd Brigade Combat Team paralegal. “Sergeant Dunham worked with me one on one, and doesn’t put you on the spot. We actually extended the class because we were having so much fun.”
Dunham said her personal battle rhythm helps her balance dancing and work. While she doesn’t consider herself an expert at analyzing or dance, she said, she knows the basics to be successful at both and has found the perfect rhythm to make her deployment as enjoyable as possible.
“Sergeant Dunham is a very enlightened individual,” Army Chief Warrant Officer Ian Holt, Dunham’s supervisor, said. “She will pick up the ball and run with it with minimal guidance. She’s one of the shining stars of our intelligence crew.”
(Staff Sgt. Carlos M. Burger II serves in Multinational Division Center with the 4th Infantry Division‘s 2nd Brigade Combat Team.)