Team March Spotlight: Capt Malia Hoffmann

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jessica Gross
  • 452 AMW Public Affairs
March Air Reserve Base, Calif. --  

March Air Reserve Base, Calif. - - Teaching and enriching the lives of others has always been a way of life for Capt. Malia Hoffmann, executive officer, 452nd Operations Group, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.

Serving as a Reserve Citizen Airman her entire military career, Hoffmann has worked in both enlisted and officer capacities.  During her enlisted service, she served as a non-commissioned officer in aerial port squadrons (APS) located in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.  With a love for serving in an APS, she commissioned as a logistics readiness officer in 2011 and continued her service as a “Port Dawg.”

In 2013, Hoffmann relocated to southern California and was assigned to the 56th APS at March ARB.  More recently, she was selected for the position of executive officer for the 452nd Operations Group.  Hoffmann also serves as the president of the Company Grade Officer’s Council at March ARB, which provides assistance to Airmen and community outreach.

In addition to her duties centered on operations, Hoffmann holds the position of Assistant Professor at California State University, Fullerton, Department of Elementary and Bilingual Education, which is recognized as a top 10 Education Technology program institution.

“As a kid, I always wanted to be a teacher,” said Hoffmann. In order to prepare for her current position, Hoffmann pursued an extensive educational path to achieve her personal and professional goals.  In 2015, she earned her doctorate in education in Learning Technologies at Pepperdine University.

Hoffmann explains that her employment in education and her service as a Reserve Citizen Airman hold parallel skill sets that help her perform successfully in both careers. “As a teacher, you have to be very organized and a planner. As a loggie [logistics officer], you have to be organized and plan for the long term,” said Hoffmann.  “They do connect and they actually complement each other really well.”

Serving at March has provided Hoffmann with a unique skill set that allows her to lead. “Being a Reservist provides me with a good way to hone my leadership skills in a different way,” she said. “As a teacher you can’t lead the same way as we do in the military.”

As an individual that faced adversity while pursuing both her military and civilian career goals, Hoffmann explains that perseverance played a major role in her success. 

“I have failed a lot along this path, but you have just got to keep going and try again,” she shared. “When you see an opportunity, you can’t be afraid to fail. Everything worth having comes with a fight, so don’t be afraid to take life on.”