Completing a successful career spanning over 20 years in the Army as a Medical Service Corp officer, COL (ret.) Sawyers served in functional areas of medical logistics, fielding and equipping combat Support Hospitals (CSH), multifunctional field medical training, medical plans & operations, and force structure design and integration. While stationed in the US Pacific AOR she was assigned in the USARPAC Surgeon’s office where she conducted numerous security cooperation medical theater engagements utilizing multi-service components and partner nation (PN) medical capability. Deployed to Iraq in 2009 as a strategic plans officer as part of the Iraq Training and Advising mission (ITAM-Army USFI Army), she helped to coordinate building partner capacity through force generation, training, and sustainment efforts. As a defense contractor she has worked for the Army Reserve and National Guard as a field project lead for Health
and Wellness mentorship services while completing her Ph.D. in Public Policy.
Dr. Sawyers joins the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) team at U.S. IndoPacific Command as a Gender Analyst. Dr. Sawyers conducts research and genderbased analysis to include the dimensions of political, social, economic, and security contexts in support of US INDOPACOM policies and plans. Dr. Sawyers has conducted research on women and political participation, policy, and gender representation in organizational structures and most recently deployed as a Gender Advisor in support of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW). Dr. Sawyers makes her home in Hawaii with her husband Frank where she continues to engage in local community activism addressing human rights, pacific environmental issues, and equality. Embracing the Hawaiian culture, Dee participates in local canoe club competitive outrigger canoe racing and open ocean distance racing year-round.