Maria “Coco” Gunther

First generation Mexican American, Maria “Coco” Gunther, enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 26 as videographer. She became pregnant with her first child while at her first duty station in Minot, ND. As a single parent, she relied on her military peers and sisters' support, who all volunteered to care of her child when she was on alert, on temporary duty, and on orders abroad. She eventually met and married fellow Airman, Dwayne Gunther, and together they were stationed overseas. As their family grew and the stressors of balancing the military mission in a dual-military household, Coco contemplated separation from the service. In the end, she decided to stay in the Air Force, and her three children Adrionna, Gloria, and Tony, adapted to the endless base-hopping and military recalls. From combat deployments to field training exercises, Coco always found a way to balance the mission with motherhood. She retired in 2011 as a Senior Master Sergeant and is a fulltime homemaker.