She is the eldest child of retired Army Sergeant First Class Claude Johnson and wife Eunice.

Although she did not plan a career in the military, she wanted to attend culinary school, so she joined the Army to save money for tuition.

In February 2003, while serving her second military assignment at Fort Bliss, Texas, Johnson received orders to deploy to Iraq as a Quartermaster Corps Food Service Specialist (MOS 92G) with the 507th Maintenance Company, 5/52 ADA BN, 11th ADA Brigade.

Her company's duty was to supply mechanics to repair the Patriot missile trucks housed at the post.

On March 23, 2003, one month after her arrival to serve as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Johnson was in a convoy that was ambushed and taken captive in the city of Nasiriyah.

Jessica Lynch, who was badly wounded and was held prisoner at a separate location.On April 13, 2003, after subsequent house raids conducted by United States Marines of the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division in the city of Samarra, Johnson was rescued along with six other prisoners of war.

CNN reported that "Lynch got a million-dollar book deal and more in disability payments from the military than Johnson.