PRESENTER
SMSgt Amy Beth Thomas serves as the Drug Demand Reduction Outreach Manager for the Louisiana National Guard Counterdrug Program, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. In this role, she works with military and civilian drug prevention entities across the state of Louisiana. SMSgt Thomas is a member on the Louisiana Governor’s Office Drug Policy Board. SMSgt Thomas participates in National and state drug prevention strategies. SMSgt Thomas collaborates across several Federal, State, and local anti-drug coalitions as well as in several schools across the state of Louisiana delivering drug prevention curriculum to the youth.
SMSgt Thomas entered the Air Force in July 2000. Following basic military training, she attended Command Post Controller training at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi and graduated in November 2000. She spent the following nine years in the command post career field supporting homeland defense in support of Operation NOBLE EAGLE. As a command post controller, SMSgt Thomas assisted in several humanitarian efforts to include Hurricane Katrina. Following Hurricane Katrina, she was assigned to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, where she conducted emergency support functions during state disasters. In 2006, she was selected to serve full time with the Louisiana National Guard Counterdrug Task Force as the Joint Substance Abuse Coordinator for both the Louisiana Army and Air National Guard. In 2009, she was assigned as Command Support Staff in the 159th Fighter Wing Commanders office and attended Personnel School at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi in September 2009. In July 2011, SMSgt Thomas was assigned to the 159th Fighter Wing Equal Opportunity Office. In 2014, SMSgt Thomas was assigned to National Guard Bureau as a Regional Drug Demand Reduction Program Manager from October 2014 until July of 2018. While assigned to National Guard Bureau’s Joint Substance Abuse Program, she assisted with national instruction, program implementation and evaluation, regulations and policy rewrites, as well as the prevention and rehabilitation of Airmen. Currently SMSgt Thomas is assigned as the drug demand reduction outreach program manager for the Louisiana National Guard Counterdrug Program. Prior to her military assignment, the senior master sergeant served her community as a law enforcement officer for over five years and currently volunteers as a counselor in behavioral health.