Lecia A. Rodriques-Whyte

Lecia A. Rodriques-Whyte joined the United States Army in 1986.

After the horrific attacks on September 11, 2001, Ms. Rodriques-Whyte was sent to Fort Totten, New York, and worked as an S-1, where she managed several soldiers.

In 2003, she was activated for a new mission in Iraq. Her time overseas was challenging, working 24-hour days, assigning soldiers to various working positions, and running to hospitals to support her fellow soldiers when they were injured. Additionally, shootings, bombings, and a helicopter attack forced her into an emergency landing in Tikrit. Ms. Rodriques-Whyte retired from the Army on March 31, 2007 as a Sergeant First Class, due to medical injuries sustained in Iraq.

Ms. Rodriques-Whyte is a staunch advocate for veterans and her community. She is a six-year Commander of the American Legion Post 1033 of Elmont and a member of the Franklin Square VFW Post 2718, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 28, the Wounded Warrior Project, and she continues to work at Stand Down events, assisting homeless veterans.

She has been invited to Elmont Public Schools to educate students on what veterans accomplish for the United States. Ms. Rodriques-Whyte’s outreach and organizational actions with the Veterans Service Agency, rallying for employment opportunities, arranging peer support programs, and helping veterans in financial need, are pivotal for assisting veterans in their transition back into post-military daily life.

Currently, she works for the Brooklyn Veterans Hospital as a Peer Specialist in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center. Ms. Rodriques-Whyte is certified as a Master Trainer for the “Honest, Open, Proud” VA program. She is a trained Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) facilitator. At the Brooklyn VA, she helps veterans reintegrate into society. Additionally, she opened a computer lab and started a therapeutic garden for the purpose of improving veterans’ mental health.

In 2019, Ms. Rodriques-Whyte was honored with a commemorative coin for her service by the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Ms. Rodriques-Whyte lives in Elmont, is the proud mother of four children, and has seven grandchildren. One of her sons proudly has served in the U.S. Army for the past 28 years and counting.