U.S. Navy veteran Alisha Milligan was born Colorado and hails from Venice, Florida. Alisha enlisted in the Navy in February 2012 and attended boot camp two months later at Recruit Training Command, Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. After completing boot camp, she attended and completed Navy Air Traffic Controller “A” School training at the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC on Naval Air Station Pensacola (Florida).
Alisha spent twelve years working as an air traffic controller at multiple different commands. Her first command was at Meridian Mississippi – a naval aviation training airfield where pilots from different military branches and from all over the world, including foreign military, trained how to fly T-45 “Goshawk” jets. As an air traffic controller, she coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) while assisting pilots’ safe execution of flights, emergencies, and training. Alsiha served as a supervisor for two branches of the facility: flight planning and radar. She spearheaded the commands first Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) which helped military members of the command find mentors and get help when dealing with difficult times.
Alisha’s next duty assignment was to the Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island in Washington state. At NAS Whidbey Island, she operated in the Navy’s most diverse and complicated air space, coordinating with multiple different civilian airports including SeaTac, Victoria British Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada. She completed her bachelor’s in liberal arts and criminal justice at Brandman University. qualify in every position at the airfield and become a Facility Watch Supervisor. Alisha also held many different volunteer positions such as Morale Welfare and Recreation treasurer, vice president, and finally president; training petty officer, career counselor; and a certification under the Defense Sexual Assault Advocate Certification Program (D-SAACP) as a victim advocate for sexual assault and response and prevention.
Alisha’s final command was with the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier stationed in Washington state. While aboard the Nimitz, she qualified in many difficult positions in the radar room, worked as a training petty officer, a career petty officer, and a supervisor for the logistics office. She also became the lead victim advocate for the entire carrier of about 4,000 people while on deployment with anywhere from 5-20 advocates under her instruction. Alisha led the onboarding training, monitored the watch rotation and reported directly to the program coordinator and the Commanding officer of the ship. She completed many short trainings, traveling with the ship down the western coast, and a six-month deployment to the south China sea.
Alisha separated from the U.S. Navy in 2024 and is currently a first-year law student at Syracuse University’s College of Law.
