Megan Lee was so eager to serve that she enlisted in the Navy at 17. She then spent 20 years on active duty and another 10 in the Navy Reserve. Today, she continues supporting the warfighter through her work at GTRI, a mission that remains one of the most rewarding parts of her career. 

“I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father and cousin, but I was the first female in my family to join the military,” Lee said. “It was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I felt it was a great honor to serve.” 

Lee began her Navy career as a signalman responsible for visual communications aboard ships, but she soon set her sights on a more challenging path. With leadership encouraging her, she moved into information security, eventually managing network and cybersecurity systems for ships, combat helicopter squadrons, and special ops warfare teams. Over the course of her military career, she served aboard three Navy ships, supported three combat helicopter squadrons, and completed seven deployments. One of those deployments began on Sept. 11, 2001, when she was called to rejoin her ship in the hours following the attacks. 

Years later, while assigned to a Navy special warfare unit, Lee led a six-person communications team tasked with building a mobile, high-tech command center. Only afterward did she learn that the system was used in the Osama bin Laden capture operation. 

When Lee retired from the Navy in 2014 to focus on her family, she wasn't sure whether she would find the same sense of purpose in civilian life. She took an administrative role at Georgia Tech's Campus Recreation Center while pursuing a master's degree in higher education and leadership. There, a fellow veteran introduced her to GTRI. After learning more about its defense mission, Lee realized she could continue supporting military personnel and contributing to national defense. 

She joined GTRI in 2018 and has taken on increasingly senior responsibilities. Today, she serves as head of the Sponsored Operations Branch within the Air National Guard Program Division. Here, she oversees the contracts, proposals, and processes that support task orders for Department of Defense sponsors, consultants, and external stakeholders. 

“I love my job because I still feel like I'm contributing to the U.S. warfighter,” Lee said. “Even though I’m retired military, I still work with the Air Force and the Air National Guard. I still feel like I'm a part of the team.”