Major Nicole Powell-Dunford, US Army Flight Surgeon, Naval Air Station (NAS), Pensacola, Florida, member of the Armed Services Judo & Jujitsu Academy's teaching staff, switches from medical greens to her martial arts white uniform in her dual-role as both student and medical mentor for this popular community Quality of Life MWR Program.

Born in Albany NY, she graduated from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and later performed her Family Medicine residency at Tripler AMC in Hawaii. Highlights of her career include deployment as a 25th Infantry Division Flight Surgeon to Afghanistan and Iraq (Tropic Lightning!). She is here at the NAS as an Army RAM (Resident in Aerospace Medicine) for 1 year. 

Joining Nicole on the mat is her personable son Joshua, age 8, who already demonstrates an abundance of both energy and interest in this nationally known NAS Adult and Youth Lifetime Sports Activity. Joshua was born at the Navy hospital in Bethesda, MD.  His hobbies include baseball and all things "Hawaiian".

Both mother and son are looking forward to the opportunity to learn this ancient form of self-defense from the bottom up. Reflecting on the enormous benefits that Judo brings to the practitioner, Major Dunford sums it up very well, “The greatest of all fights lies within!”