For Welker, college money turned into combat deployment, military career

Jennifer Bonnell Welker, an Amboy High School graduate, joined the Illinois National Guard to fund her college education. Her service led to a career as a motor transport driver, a role she shared with her father. Welker was deployed to Kuwait with the 1644th Transportation Company in 2004, marking a significant transition from her initial goal of avoiding college debt to a dedicated military career.