Meet the Members Monday- Melissa M

 Hi Everyone!  My name is Melissa Mistretta, and I have been married to MSII Steven Warner for 4.5 years.  I grew up in Greenville, Wisconsin, while Steve grew up in San Jose, California.  We met when I was an undergrad at the University of Pittsburgh, and he was a cadet at West Point.  We were each on our respective school’s debate team and had to debate against each other.  He won the initial encounter, but lost every other debate we had over the next year and a half (and as we like to joke, every debate since then as well).

Steve was prior service before West Point, so I graduated a year before him and headed to Cornell University to pursue my PhD in Government.  We married the next year after he graduated from the Academy, and he went off to BOLC at Ft. Sill while I returned to graduate school.  Eight months later I took a leave of absence from Cornell and moved to join him at Ft. Drum, NY.  From there, he deployed to Iraq, while I stayed and led the Company FRG (Family Readiness Group) and traveled around the northeast judging for and coaching the West Point debate team.  It was my first experience with the military, and at times a very challenging one, but I met some wonderful people during our time there, including my next-door neighbor who became my best friend.  While our husbands were deployed we took a vacation to Argentina together and trained for a half-marathon, which we ran in September after Steve returned.

            I was thrilled to move to Maryland when Steve decided to go to medical school.  Last winter was the most mild winter I’ve ever experienced, and I love living so close to DC, though I don’t get down there often enough.  We love to catch a show at the Kennedy Center or a game at Nationals Park whenever possible.  I also love traveling, baking and photography.  I currently work at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation’s corporate headquarters in Bethesda, and continue to travel on weekends with the West Point Debate team.  After debate season ends in early March, I look forward to training for the SSC Wounded Warrior 5k!