Elisabeth Joy, a US Army veteran, shares her experiences and journey in the military. She joined the military because she wanted to serve a greater purpose and have adventures. She became a pilot, flying Chinook helicopters. She deployed to Afghanistan & Iraq multiple times. Elisabeth also discusses the impact of 9/11 on her military career and the challenges she faced, including a breakdown and subsequent PTSD diagnosis. She highlights the camaraderie and lifelong friendships she formed in the military. Elisabeth is now involved in the veteran community & pursuing a career in acting and filmmaking. In this conversation, Elisabeth discusses the importance of letting go. She shares her personal journey of healing from domestic violence and managing chronic pain. Elisabeth emphasizes the need for patience, faith, and understanding in the healing process. She also highlights the power of community, self-care, and finding ways to contribute to society. She encourages you to align yourself with their true purpose and be grateful for the present moment.
ABOUT
Elisabeth Joy (Collura-Rosenberg) is a US Army veteran, actress, filmmaker, integrative therapist, and adjunct professor with combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). She has 11 years of military service and considers life to be an ongoing opportunity to grow and learn. She is best known for her roles in His Stretch of Texas Ground and RATS!.
She holds a master’s in education from the University of Texas at Austin in Exercise and Sport Psychology, associate of applied science in Radio Television Film and Emerging Media Production from Austin Community College, is a Licensed Massage Therapist, and has certifications in Film and Video Production Technology, Personal Training, Group Fitness, Yoga, and Pilates. She joined the faculty at the Austin Community College Health and Kinesiology Department in 2023 where she teaches the integration of the body-mind-energy connection through yoga and fencing.
Elisabeth began acting and dance training in 2015 to manage the invisible wounds of war. She found artistic expression and conscious movement to music to be highly beneficial to the mind-body-spirit triad. She has been a performance team member for a multi-cultural Bollywood dance troupe and is a performance artist specializing in flow arts, fire spinning/breathing, and aerials.
In 2000, she began her active duty service as a Distinguished Honor Graduate of the ROTC program at Ohio University. She then served as an Army Aviator flying Chinooks from 2001-2004. While in the 101st Airborne, she deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq in multiple leadership and liaison positions flying combat missions in both theaters in support of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF).
In 2007, Elisabeth completed her active duty service obligation and joined the Texas Army National Guard. Increasing her influential roles, she was selected as an Instructor with the Officer Candidate School. She was also selected by the Texas Military Department to serve as a Community Relations representative with federal, state, local, and nonprofit organizations for veterans and their families. The culmination of her military career was as the Commander of the Air Ambulance Company (Alamo Dustoff) flying Black Hawks for aeromedical evacuation. Her awards and decorations include Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (5th Award), Army Aviator Badge, Army Airborne Badge, Army Air Assault Badge, and Army Pathfinder Badge.
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