Growing up in Biloxi, Mississippi, Tameka Rushing had two things in mind: seek adventure and earn a free education.
Stories of Honor is a Fort Worth Report weekly series spotlighting 12 Tarrant County veterans who are serving beyond the uniform.
We also are highlighting nonprofits recommended by the veterans.
In November, the veterans will gather for a luncheon where the Report will honor their service at the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington.
Keesler Air Force Base loomed nearby, her father served in the Air Force Reserves, and her older brother joined the Air Force. At 18, she followed the same path, beginning a 21-year career.
“I knew there was more in the world that I wanted to see and experience,” Rushing said.
The Air Force carried her across the world — from Germany, Japan, Turkey, Korea and back home. Along the way, she gained leadership skills and discovered her passion for helping others, work that would later define her civilian career.
In Turkey, she met Senior Master Sgt. Pamela Jones, who saw a younger version of herself in Rushing’s energy and determination. Their bond grew into a mother-daughter-like relationship.
“Rushing was sharp, always smiling, always learning,” Jones said. “She always called me ‘Mama Jones.’ Our relationship naturally grew from mentor and mentee to family.”
By the time Rushing retired, she was one rank below chief master sergeant, a rank achieved by only the top 1% of enlisted Air Force members. Her plan was simple: transition to civilian life and focus on being a full-time mom.
“I had a great career,” Rushing said. “I had great mentors, I traveled the world, and my daughter did not want four high schools like her brother.”
The transition wasn’t easy. After two decades of structure, deciding what to wear and how to style her hair felt foreign.
“You go from structure and continuity,” Rushing said. “Navigating civilian life was super weird and difficult.”
Her first civilian stop was Christus Health, a faith-based health care system as an internal leadership consultant. For two years, she visited facilities across Texas guiding hospital leaders. She found purpose, but it encouraged her to take on more.
Tameka Rushing
Age: 48
Military service: U.S. Air Force
Occupation: Independent consultant in leadership development and a keynote speaker.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in human resource management from Park University. Master’s in organization leadership from Columbia Southern University.
Family: She’s married to Jay Rushing. They have two sons Micah Rushing, Tarique Morales, and one daughter, Tionna Long. She has one brother, Taurian Murphy, and one niece, Tori Murphy.
Most important lesson learned in the military: “Life is built on relationships. The mentors and bonds you form can last a lifetime and shape your success.”
Soon, she was juggling roles in the corporate world, serving on nonprofit boards, writing a book, building her business and keeping up with family.
The pace caught up to her.
“My kids were asking, ‘What are you doing? You’ve done so much. Why are you subjecting yourself to this extreme work?’” Rushing said.
Rushing was going through extreme burnout and was hospitalized, she said. She stepped back.
After a month of recovery, she launched Glass Half Full Solutions, a business that blends military discipline with corporate adaptability to help first-time leaders grow.
“Helping veterans, youth and domestic violence survivors, that’s my passion,” Rushing said.
Her work now extends across multiple arenas. She serves on the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the board of Hagar’s Heart, a nonprofit supporting domestic violence survivors, among other roles. Each role reflects her commitment to lifting others up.
Her daughter, Tionna Long, said her mom’s drive shaped her and her brother’s outlook on life. Watching Rushing balance military service, single parenthood and advancement through the ranks gave them an example of resilience and professionalism.
“She was a tireless, passionate and hard-working individual,” Long said. “The way she carried herself in a room and never backed down to people who didn’t look like her or come from the same background was inspiring.”
Long said her mom instilled values of confidence and excellence that helped her succeed in corporate America.
“Being a role model, her education and striving for more, that’s how she raised me and my brother,” Long said. “She made it a point to make sure that we always felt loved and connected, and she did a successful job in doing that.”
For Jones, who has known Rushing for nearly two decades, the admiration is just as strong.
“She’s one of the best individuals I’ve ever worked with,” Jones said. “All you gotta do is look at her and you can’t help but smile. Her positivity is infectious.”
Rushing’s journey hasn’t been without challenges, from identity shift after leaving the military to burnout in civilian life, but at every turn, she’s turned her struggles into tools to help others.
Whether mentoring veterans, supporting survivors, or raising future leaders at home, she continues to live by the values that guided her service.
“Her greatest work is done when she’s healthy,” Long said.
As long as someone needs a hand, the mission never stops. Rushing’s dedication to her mission is a source of motivation for all who know her.
Orlando Torres is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report.
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