Tuberville Honors Rainbow City Veteran Ashlie Combs
Army veteran Ashlie Combs is being honored for turning her own military experience into a mission to help Alabama veterans in need
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville has named Rainbow City resident and U.S. Army Veteran Ashlie Combs his September “Veteran of the Month,” honoring her military service and her work helping fellow veterans deal with mental health and the often difficult move back to civilian life.
Combs served nine years in the U.S. Army and deployed to Iraq in 2007 with the 10th Mountain Division. She was medically retired from the Army in 2012 and later became a Veterans advocate and mentor with the Calhoun County Veterans Treatment Court. She has also been active with the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans.
Tuberville announced the honor in a video recognizing Combs as part of his ongoing Veteran of the Month series.
“Veterans’ mental health is one of the most unspoken struggles our brave men and women in uniform endure after serving our country. Many struggle silently and alone, which is why suicide has become a leading cause of death among our veterans. Combatting the mental health crisis for Alabama veterans has become the number one mission of U.S. Army Specialist Ashlie Combs of Rainbow City.
“Ashlie enlisted in the Army in 2003 after graduating from Bay Minette High School. She grew up in a military family, so she knew the hardships of military life. But the September 11th attacks made Ashlie want to do her part to protect our great country.
“Along the way, she got involved in the local Veterans Treatment Court where she has spent countless hours helping set vets up for success. Ashlie goes to great lengths to see veterans through their treatment from start to finish.
“She recently received her graduate degree in counseling from Auburn University so that she can do this kind of work full-time.
“September is Suicide Prevention Month, and we are fortunate to have veterans like Ashlie who use their experience to help veterans struggling with their mental health. It is my honor to recognize Ashlie Combs as the September ‘Veteran of the Month.’”
Combs’ path to Veterans advocacy was shaped in part by her own experience in combat.
In a 2023 profile published by the Alabama Head Injury Task Force, Combs said she suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in Iraq in 2007. An incoming mortar round struck inside the base, and the blast threw her into a military vehicle. She later dealt with headaches, ringing in her ears and other symptoms.
Her military service also included search-and-rescue missions in Iraq. Combs has said the bonds formed in the Army — and the need to put differences aside to accomplish a mission — remained with her after leaving the service.
“I wouldn’t take any of those sacrifices and change them,” Combs said. “Because we have the country we have today because of men and women who served and our founding fathers.”
Returning to civilian life brought a new set of challenges.
“Transitioning out is, there’s a lot of what ifs,” Combs said. “You don’t know what to do next and everything.”
She eventually found a new mission by working with other veterans.
Combs became involved with the Veterans Treatment Court system, which gives some Veterans involved in the criminal justice system a path focused on treatment and recovery. The programs can combine court oversight with drug treatment, mental health care and other services aimed at problems linked to military service. Combs has also advocated for expanding Veterans treatment courts across Alabama.
Her work led her back to school. Combs earned a graduate degree in counseling from Auburn University, allowing her to turn years of volunteer work and advocacy into a professional effort to help Veterans get mental health care.
The recognition comes during September — Suicide Prevention Month — giving Tuberville’s selection an added focus on the mental health struggles faced by veterans.
“We are fortunate to have veterans like Ashlie who use their experience to help veterans struggling with their mental health,” Tuberville said. “It is my honor to recognize Ashlie Combs as the September ‘Veteran of the Month.’”
Alabamians can nominate a veteran for consideration in Tuberville’s 2026 Veteran of the Month series by contacting his office at press_office@tuberville.senate.gov.
Sen. Tuberville’s video announcing Combs as Veteran of the Month may be seen on YouTube and below:
