Specialist Rau is an intelligence analyst for the  42nd DISCOM Headquarters and performed the duties normally performed by a Captain in the Tactical Operations Center. Her outstanding work was noticed by the senior evaluators during the course of the two-week exercise and she was recommended for one of the coveted awards. After the exercise ended, Rau was awarded a certificate of achievement from the Commander of  the Warfighter Operations Group and was presented a Warfighter Commander’s coin.

Rau was also singled out by Major General Thomas Garrett, 42nd Division Commander, for her performance. He visited the DISCOM during the night shift while Rau was working to present her with a 42nd Division Commander’s coin. After observing her intelligence briefing and the status of her maps and charts he observed that “every map in the Division should look like hers.”

Rau works as a software developer in civilian life and attends Rutgers University.