PORTSMOUTH
Building on her Portsmouth, VA and I.C. Norcom High School roots, Benita L. Harris has risen to high professional and educational accomplishments, according to Portsmouth native and retired U.S. Ambassador, Bismarck Myrick.
Praising her achievements, Ambassador Myrick noted that she was promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel in the Army – effective December 1, 2017 and as a mentor, he officiated at her promotion ceremony in Portsmouth on December 16, 2017.
LTC Harris enlisted in the Army as a laboratory technician in 1993 and served at the Blood Donor Center in Landstuhl, Germany. Subsequent deployments included Bosnia and Iraq. Due to her leadership skills, she was selected for a commissioning program and became an Army Nurse Corps Officer in 2001.
She rose through the ranks while commanding a number of medical units. She continued her education, earning a Master’s Degree in Public Health Leadership and Family Nurse Practice.
LTC Harris is currently near the end of completing a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree at Binghamton University.
“Her success is an example of what can be accomplished with talent and sustained hard work,” said Ambassador Myrick.
