Photo By Staff Sgt. Hannah Tarkelly | Col. Michele Harper the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade commander conducts flight Oct....... read more read more
RALEIGH, N.C. -- This Women’s history month, the North Carolina National Guard recognizes and bids farewell to U.S. Army Col. Michele Harper who is retiring following 30 years of extraordinary service.
1993 marked the beginning of a long journey filled with laughter, hardships, and lessons learned. Now, Harper is finally hanging up her flight helmet as she reflects upon her years served as a N.C. Guardsman and aviator.
Throughout her time in uniform, Harper continued to climb the ranks from platoon leader for Delta Company 1st Battalion 192 Aviation all the way up to becoming 449th Combat Aviation Brigade’s first female brigade commander.
Harper is a trailblazer who has made aviator history and women’s history by becoming North Carolina’s first female Blackhawk assault company commander, the first female aviation battalion commander, and the first female aviation brigade commander.
Her notable dedication to service allowed her the opportunity to develop into an experienced leader and aviator while successfully completing various missions across the globe.
“I learn what to do and what not to do from watching leaders,” Harper said. “Your personal example, strengthened with honesty and integrity, will give our Soldiers the best example to follow.”
As a N.C. Guardsman, Harper has led by example and continuously answered the call to help fellow North Carolina citizens whether it was a snowstorm, hurricane, or a global pandemic.
“In 1996, after the destruction to N.C. from Hurricane Fran, I was one of the first crews to respond to the needs of our citizens,” Harper said.
In response to major hurricanes that have swept through the state, Harper has either flown the skies as a pilot or managed mission requests on land as the State Aviation Officer.
Memories of serving on the home front and beyond our borders resurface as Harper recalls impactful events that make her service worth the sacrifice.
“After 30 years of service, there are so many memorable experiences, but I will never forget the faces of those affected and rescued due to a hurricane…” Harper said.
Harper retells instances of seeing a mother drenched desperately clutching her baby surrounded by flooding water and a young man frantically waving from a roof top awaiting rescue with nowhere else to go.
“When you see the water levels rise and the faces of our citizens filled with anxiety, worry, and fear, but lessened when we arrive on the scene with a helicopter, it fills your soul and keeps you grounded,” Harper said. “The smiles, gratefulness and sense of relief cannot be erased from my memory… that is what pushes me to serve.”
Through Harpers years of service, she has helped save countless lives and further protect our nation’s security despite any difficulties and hardships.
Harper has learned how to navigate the extreme difficulties associated with balancing her commitment to the Guard as well as her commitment to family.
“Leaving as a mother and getting on that plane headed to Iraq was one of the hardest things I have ever done,” Harper said.
As a new mother, Harper had to kiss her infant son goodbye with the fear of not returning home from the deployment.
Hardships have led Harper to learn the most valuable lessons especially when caring for fellow Soldiers.
The culmination of differing experiences and life difficulties has broadened Harper’s understanding of what other Soldiers may feel and face while serving.
Along her journey as an aviator, leader, and Soldier Harper has found the greatest lesson to be rooted in diversity. Harper has learned that a formations greatest strength is found among diversity and the unique individuality that each Soldier brings to the fight.
“The military has people from all walks of life with such a diverse set of experiences,” Harper said. “That is what makes us so unique and able to accomplish the mission… The biggest lesson one could learn from such a diverse group, is that you must find the good in everyone and focus on the strengths they bring to the team.”
Although Harper’s service is coming to an end, the legacy she leaves behind and the historical progression women aviators have made will always remain in a vibrant and unyielding permanence.
“I hope to see more women serving and climbing the ranks because the military is such an incredible platform to explore the world and create those memorable experiences of service to our great nation,” Harper said.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, Harper has displayed the resiliency that it takes to be a strong woman in uniform.
Harper states that women who serve today encourage and empower the next generation to serve.
| Date Taken: | 03.31.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2023 10:35 |
| Story ID: | 441652 |
| Location: | RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 731 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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