Ben-Iesau joined the Coast Guard in 1986 to get the G.I. Bill and go back home to college. Her nearly 25-year stint included duty stations in San Diego, Louisville, Baton Rouge, Houston, and New Orleans. When Hurricane Katrina hit, she was detailed as the US Coast Guard liaison to city hall. Her self-published book, "The Long September: the social life of a Katrina responder," describes her experiences leading up to, during, and immediately after the storm. She was Chief of Public and Government Affairs for the Eighth Coast Guard District during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in 2010, and retired soon after having achieved the rank of Commander.