A Change of Command ceremony held at Fort Bragg, N.C. on Jan. 21 promoted Atmore native, Captain Jennifer Ragan Hernandez, 33, to assume the command of Bravo Company, 28th Combat Support Hospital at Fort Bragg.

Hernandez was born in Atmore and grew up in Canoe. Her father raised her and her brother after the death of their mother in 1995, when Hernandez was 17 years old.

“It was hard on us all,” Robert Ragan said. “I did the best I could, but the death of her mother was very hard on all of us.”

Hernandez graduated from Escambia Academy in 1996. She attended Jefferson Davis Community College for a couple of years and then transferred to the University of South Alabama majoring in Psychology.

“She had already decided to go into the military,” her father said. “So while she was at South Alabama she was in ROTC.”

She was commissioned in the Medical Service Corps as a second lieutenant in 2003 and graduated from Airborne School. Her first assignment was a Gold Bar Recruiter at Armstrong Atlantic State University as Savannah, Ga. After her first assignment, she completed AMEDD Officer Basic Course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She was then assigned to the 3rd Forward Support Battalion in Fort Stewart, Ga., as Ambulance Platoon Leader and soon deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom as Forward Logistic Element Officer and Executive Officer.

After completion of her tour in Iraq, she was assigned to Womack Army Medical Center where she served as the Chief of the Multi-Service Market Management Office (MSMMO) at Fort Bragg in 2008. Her next assignment was Adjutant of Wamack Army Medical Center. In 2009, she became the Brigade Medical Planner for 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division where she deployed in 18 hours to Haiti for Operation United Response. After the deployment, she graduated from Jumpmaster School and attended the AMEDD Captain Career Course.

Cpt. Hernandez’s awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge and German, Canadian, Egyptian and Chilean Parachutist Badges.

She is married to Major Derrick B. Hernandez and they have an eight-year-old daughter, Rachel, a three-year-old daughter, Savannah, and two year old son, Bruce.

She is the daughter of Robert and Barbara Ragan of Brewton and the late Brenda Ragan of Canoe.