Pottawatomie Co. ADA Serving With Army Reserve Unit In New Orleans In Fight Against Coronavirus

Pottawatomie County’s first assistant district attorney has been activated with her Army reserve unit to serve in New Orleans in the battle against COVID-19.

Tonya Roland traded her business suit for her soldier's uniform. The lieutenant colonel serves with the 377th Theater Sustainment Command and is now deployed to New Orleans. She is using her legal expertise to help other soldiers who are deployed.

“I’m the chief of legal assistance here and so my job entail assisting soldiers as they come on to their mobilization, while they’re on their mobilization, as they leave their mobilization I assist those soldiers with any legal issues that they have that might come up,” Roland said. “I support them in drafting wills, powers of attorney, living wills, healthcare proxy, things like that. I also assist them with lease terminations that they might have issues with, leaving an apartment to mobilize with the army. I assist them with any other rights that they might have under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.”

It sounds like a lot of paper pushing, but this is important work.

“Anytime a soldier deploys we want them focused on their mission and any time they have legal issues back home that draws their focus away from their mission and affects their ability to perform their mission,” she said.

Roland has been in the Army Reserve for more than 17 years, and while she’s not sure how long this deployment will last, she said she’s proud to serve.

“I’m supporting my country, my nation. I do it willingly and not begrudgingly,” she said. "Whatever my part is, I’m here to do it.”