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Lieutenant Colonel Alea Nadeem's story begins with trauma that would break many people – kidnapped at age eight by her own father and taken from the United States to Iraq for nearly four years. Born to an American Catholic mother and Iraqi Muslim father, cultural and religious tensions tore her family apart when her father took the family on what was supposed to be a visit to Iraq. When it came time to leave, he forced her mother to choose which daughter to take back to America, leaving young Alea behind.

This profound childhood betrayal left Alea with deep abandonment issues that continue to surface in her relationships today. She describes becoming "hyper-independent" as a protective measure – struggling to ask for help, reluctant to depend on others, and being devastated when someone fails to follow through on promised assistance. Yet rather than allowing this trauma to define her, Aaliyah transformed it into remarkable resilience.

"I've never had a harder day in my life since being kidnapped," she reflects, explaining how this perspective helps her face new challenges with confidence. After returning to America and overcoming cultural readjustment struggles, Alea joined the Air Force, rising through the ranks from enlisted to officer, ultimately becoming a Lieutenant Colonel and Commander.

Her proudest professional achievement came from recognizing a seemingly small but significant issue affecting servicewomen – outdated hair policies causing physical harm. Using her intelligence training, she gathered data proving these policies were founded not on operational necessity but on outdated cultural attitudes from the 1940s. Despite facing five years of rejection, she persisted respectfully through the chain of command until reaching success – changing not only Air Force policy but influencing similar changes across other military branches and even internationally.

Now Alea has set her sights on a new mission: running for Congress in her hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Focusing on manufacturing revival, combating the opioid crisis, and advocating for servicewomen's equipment needs, she hopes to bring her military leadership experience and problem-solving approach to government. Throughout her remarkable journey, her measure of success remains not positions or accomplishments but character – how she treats others and what kind of difference she makes in their lives.

Want to learn more or support her campaign? Visit https://aleaforcongress.com or find her on social media platforms.

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