NAVFAC Marianas Employee Celebrates 50 Years of Service
25 August 2021
ASAN, Guam (Aug. 25, 2021) – With half a century of service in the books as a civilian employee, Mildred “Millie” Camacho had these words of advice for her colleagues: “Being a federal employee is so rewarding. If you find yourself ready to give up, don’t.”
ASAN, Guam (Aug. 25, 2021) – With half a century of service in the books as a civilian employee, Mildred “Millie” Camacho had these words of advice for her colleagues: “Being a federal employee is so rewarding. If you find yourself ready to give up, don’t.”
Camacho celebrated her 50th year in civil service this month surrounded by colleagues and friends as Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Marianas Commanding Officer Capt. Tim Liberatore presented her with her golden service pin and length of service award.
Camacho entered the workforce as a clerk typist in the Officer in Charge of Construction Guam in 1971, after her sister encouraged her to take the civil service entrance exam. She worked her way into the world of finance with the 36th Contracting Squadron at Andersen Air Force Base, the Naval Base Guam Public Works Center, and now with NAVFAC Marianas financial management department.
“I just love working with numbers, and I’ve always been really good at it even when I was in high school and college,” she said. “I think that was my calling. I stuck to that field and focused on my career, and it’s just a dream that I reached 50 years; I never thought I would.”
Though some days in the office are better than others, Camacho attributes her drive to her daily workouts, meeting and networking with new people, and having coworkers who have turned into friends.
“There are lots of waves, of course. You have weak knees and a weak heart, but you have to remain strong; and with the help of our Lord, I remained strong,” she said. “Being happy at what you do and who you work with makes a difference.”
While her career has afforded her many benefits and opportunities, and although retirement is usually on the horizon when a milestone like this is reached, Camacho said she isn’t quite there yet but is looking forward to it and spending much needed time with her family, and working on community projects.
“I do want to retire when the time is right,” she said. “You don’t every really think about it. I never thought about my years in service, how much more time I have or anything like that. I just kept working.”
Camacho and her husband Ricardo live in the village of Barrigada and have five children – Vivian, Rick, Adrienne, Karianne and Roseanne; five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.