ST. JOSEPH, Mo.-- As Women's History Month continues, stories of resilience and leadership come to light, highlighting women who serve. Among them is Master Sgt. Nicole Reynolds of the 139th Communications Flight, whose story of family and mentorship is a testament to the Air Force Core Values.
Reynolds first enlisted in the Missouri Army National Guard in 2006. After some serving in the Army for many years, Reynolds later transferred to the Missouri Air National Guard in the cyber security office. Through hard work and innovation, Reynolds earned the position of noncommissioned officer in charge. She took on a role to mentor and develop other Airmen, and considers it the most rewarding parts of her service.
“I love seeing the Soldiers and Airmen that I had under my leadership go forth and accomplish great things,” Reynolds said.
Military service comes with its challenges as well as its rewards, though. Married life in the military brings its own obstacles, especially when married to another servicemember. She recounts having to constantly coordinate and juggle the responsibilities of home with deployments, assignments, and training schedules with her spouse who shares the same commitment.
“There's always the struggle of deployments and you're not sure if your spouse is gonna get sent on a mission too. You really have to juggle that family care plan,” Reynolds said. “The biggest challenge for being a mom in uniform is just the thought of anytime I could be called up that I may miss something.”
With these struggles and challenges, Reynolds finds support and encouragement with the other women of the 139th. She says she experiences an unmatched sense of sisterhood at the wing.
“I feel like there’s so much camaraderie with the females within the Air Force,” she said. “It was hard to find female mentors in the Army Guard, but I found so much more in the Air Force, the five years I've been here.”
As we celebrate Women's History Month, Reynold’s story serves as a reminder of the women who serve in many aspects of their lives. The sacrifices and achievements she, and so many other women face, reach beyond military service. Reynold’s experience shows the resilience and hard work of women in uniform, and serves as an inspiration for all future servicewomen.
| Date Taken: | 03.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2024 14:29 |
| Story ID: | 465845 |
| Location: | ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Women’s History Month: Spotlight on Master Sgt. Nicole Reynolds, by TSgt Audrey Chappell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
