Biography

Darnnell served as a Military Intelligence Analyst (MOS 98J) with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment during Operation Desert Storm, surviving the Battle of 73 Easting—the largest tank battle since World War II. She is one of the few Military Intelligence soldiers authorized to wear the 2nd ACR combat patch, a distinction earned under fire in the Iraqi desert.
After leaving the military, Darnnell didn't just rebuild her life—she exceeded every expectation the Army ever had for her. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Database Technology from Strayer University, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA and President's List honors every quarter. She mastered UNIX shell scripting and database administration, transforming herself into the technical expert she'd always envisioned.
Her federal career spanned more than two decades of distinguished service. At the Internal Revenue Service, she managed a 20,000-user procurement database and wrote automated scripts that reduced hours of manual work to minutes. At the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), she served as a CyberSecurity and Fraud Forensic Investigative Analyst, using tools like EnCase and Intella to investigate federal employee misconduct—work that was cited in a report to Congress. She held a Top Secret security clearance and earned consistent "Exceeded Expectations" performance ratings.
Darnnell's career culminated at INTERPOL Washington, where she served as a Supervisory Investigative Analyst leading a team of twelve analysts, contractors, and law enforcement detailees in highly complex international investigations. She became a certified instructor for the Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training (FIAT) program, teaching the next generation of law enforcement intelligence professionals.
The girl who dreamed of carrying the attaché case finally got it—and filled it with credentials that captain could never have imagined for her.
Blanket Party in Desert Storm is the third book in her "Victorious With God" series, following Victorious! Defeating Bullies and Giants God's Way and In All Seriousness… Totally Funny Bible Stories. This memoir is co-authored with her daughter, Deidra Wilson, a Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)-trained fashion designer who contributed the prologue and epilogue, offering a daughter's perspective on the legacy of military service.
Darnnell is now happily retired and lives in Fort Washington, Maryland, with her husband Terrence, a federal police officer. She remains committed to validating the experiences of veterans whose stories have been overlooked, and to testifying about the divine protection that carried her through every storm.