ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) — An Albuquerque woman who joined the military to stay out of trouble is accomplishing great things. In less than a decade of service, Sgt. Krista Osbourne has already won a title that only four other women have won before her.
Eight years ago, she joined the military trying to decide her next step in life. “I really had no plan,” said Sgt. Osborne. “College was kind of an option,” she explained.
The Sandia High School graduate lost her father in a car accident during her junior year of high school. Her grief consumed her. “I wasn’t really motivated to do anything after he died,” said Sgt. Osborne. “I started going down the wrong path,” she explained. “That’s when I decided the military would be the best option for me,” she told KRQE in an interview.
She was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, where she would eventually meet his wife, who coincidentally is also from New Mexico. This year, Sgt. Osbourne competed against more than 4,000 drill sergeants for the title of drill sergeant of the year.
“To compete as a woman is a really big statement in the military,” she said. The Army describes competition as one of the most physically and mentally demanding challenges a soldier can face. She says at 5’4, 130 pounds, the odds were stacked against her and she was under a lot of pressure.
“I knew a lot of people were watching me,” she said. “I knew I was very capable of doing it,” she told KRQE.
She was right. After a few days of competition, her determination and hard work paid off and earned her this prestigious title. “This competition has been around since 1969, only four other women have won it,” said Sgt. Osbourne explained.
She says she couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of her family. She will always miss her father, but she knows he is proud of her. She hopes she can inspire other women to pursue their dreams, no matter how difficult they are.
sergeant. Osbourne says she will spend the next year working for TRADOC, recruiting and training soldiers. She says her ultimate goal is to retire after 20 years, buy a house in Rio Rancho, and return to the Land of Enchantment with her wife and daughter-in-law.
