Tahlia Burton is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where she served six years as a Chinese, Pashto, and French cryptologic language analyst. She spent four years working real-time intelligence operations out of Fort Meade, Maryland, where she supported special operations units in five U.S. combatant commands. In 2014, she was named “Airman of the Year” at the squadron and group levels.

After being honorably discharged, Tahlia was accepted to Columbia University where she currently studies political science and human rights. She serves on the Columbia University Senate, and is the Advisor on Human Rights Coverage for The War Horse, a nonprofit digital magazine focused on Post-9/11 war and trauma. Tahlia is the recipient of the Air Force Achievement Medal for the discovery of an enemy threat that might have cost the lives of 75 U.S. Navy SEALs and other Special Forces personnel. She has received national attention for her journalism, which has been covered in the Associated Press “Big Story,” Task & Purpose, The Washington Post, Fox News, and other numerous news outlets.