Interview of Eileen Guerra Quinn by Dylan Maier

November 7, 2016

Captain Eileen Quinn was born in Charleston and raised in Goose Creek, South Carolina. The daughter of a Naval Petty Officer, Captain Quinn was drawn to serve her country and to follow her father’s lead. She entered The Citadel in the fall of 1997 in hopes of obtaining a Naval ROTC contract; however, she was medically disqualified. In the interview, Captain Quinn talks of her experience as a member of the second class of women to graduate from The Citadel and what it means to her to be a member of “The Long Gray Line.”

Upon graduation, she started working selling insurance in Fort Myers. After realizing she had not found her calling, she elected to leave her job and search for a more fulfilling career. In 2004, Captain Quinn enlisted in the Army as an E-4. She discusses in the interview serving at the beginning her career as an NCO and transitioning to serve as an Army Officer, and she gives insight into the lessons she learned as she advanced in the ranks.

Over her eight-year career, Captain Quinn served her country at home and abroad, including stations in Germany, Iraq, and South Korea. Her final assignment was to return to her Alma Mater to serve as an ROTC instructor and later as the Tactical Officer for Hotel Company. In the course of the interview, Captain Quinn discusses how both The Citadel and her service in the Army shaped her as a person and prepared her for her newest job as a mother.

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