During her time in the military, Elba Barr grew accustomed to fighting — still, some battles have nonetheless been rather unexpected. Barr served as an intelligence analyst in the Army for 10 years, beginning in 1997. A terrorism specialist, she traveled to 28 countries; at one of her stops, in Uzbekistan, she was exposed to hazardous chemicals and has since been diagnosed with cancer eight times.
A resident of Colorado Springs, Barr is featured in the PBS series “After Action,” which highlights what life is like for service members once they conclude their active careers. For Barr, that includes working with other veterans fighting for health care and other benefits.