McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst resident Delisa Sliker was recognized as Ms. New Jersey Veteran at the conclusion of a series of four New Jersey Resource and Opportunity Fairs held throughout the state.
Chief Petty Officer Sliker retired from her service with the United States Naval Reserve in September 2011 as an Intelligence Specialist. Sliker was an active-duty military member from November 1986 until March 1997, where she was a Machinery Repairman (MR) on USS Yosemite (AD-19), SIMA Little Creek, and the PreCom of USS Bataan (LHD-5).
The veteran’s overseas duty included participation in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Oct. 9 event held at the All Wars Memorial Buildings (Old Soldier’s Home) in Atlantic City was sponsored by The American Legion, Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian and the State of New Jersey. It was co-sponsored by the New Jersey Parole Board and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The popular mayor welcomed the assembled crowd to the building "built for soldiers” that provided the networking venue for active-duty, National Guard, reservists, veterans and their families to interface with vendors and providers of veteran services offering career opportunities, information on mental health issues, homelessness and veterans affairs in general.
Sliker, the selected female finalist out of the 80 veterans who competed in the Mr. and Mrs. NJ Veteran competition, was the judge’s pick. The Navy veteran was a preliminary contest winner at the event held at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum in May 2014. When asked what qualities she thought were the most important to possess as Ms. New Jersey Veteran, she cited “commitment, integrity and advocacy for fellow veterans.”
In addition to her work with ESGR, Sliker is the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst MAC (Mentor, Advisor, and Counselor) for the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Fort Dix. She is also a member of the NOSC Family Support Group.
Her husband, Jeff Sliker, is the Command Master Chief at NOSC Fort Dix on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. They have two children, Thomas and Drew. Thomas is stationed in the Navy at Pax River, Md. Drew is in the 8th grade and a competitive gymnast in New Jersey.