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I take inspiration from everyday people I meet // Humans of NATO Days

Colonel Jolana Kubicek works at a Ramstein Air Force Base in international affairs as a reserve attache. She arrived at NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days with a USAFE band, which provided musical accompaniment for the ceremonies and enhanced the atmosphere during the event. We asked her about her opinion on NATO Days, what inspires her, or what limits she needs to overcome in her work. 

What do you think about the current NATO Days?
It is a huge airshow. We were really surprised to see how many of the public came to this airshow and how much attention it gets. So we were very impressed by the level of organization and by the size of this event.

What does NATO mean to you?
NATO for me means an alliance amongst the partners where we all work multilaterally to defend ourselves. That's essentially what the alliance means to me. 

What does your normal working day look like?
My job can be very different every day. Usually, I'm assigned to work at the support of different embassies in Europe. So it depends on where I'm working. The most important thing for me is to be flexible. My job involves a lot of multitasking communication with foreign partners and working on different projects.

What does bravery mean to you?
To me, bravery is doing something although you may feel uncertain or fearful. Getting past that and still doing what you need to do is brave for me.

What limits do you need to overcome in your work and how often?
I don't know if I necessarily overcome limits, but sometimes if there is a roadblock to something, I will try to work out a compromise where it works for me and it works for the person I'm working with. I think that's how I get past difficulties and where I have to essentially cross boundaries. 

Who inspires you?
I take inspiration from everyday people I meet, listening to their unique story and seeing the challenges individual people have in their own lives. That is my inspiration.