Photo By Senior Airman Damien Weaver | 142nd Chaplain Corps enlistee, Sara McKeever (center) poses for a photo alongside...... read more read more
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Portland, Ore.—Sara Mckeever, recently-crowned Mrs. Oregon American 2024, will now be known by an additional title: Airman 1st Class Mckeever. She enlisted in the Oregon Air National Guard on Sunday, November 3rd, as a religious affairs Airman with the 142nd Wing.
For Mckeever, enlisting marks the confluence of two long-held desires: to serve in the military and to help others in need. Both her father and brother served in the Army National Guard, and she has wanted to serve in the military from a young age. However, major life events over the years—marriage, motherhood, her husband’s own deployment with the Army National Guard—necessitated putting that desire on hold.
Now, at 39, she is “excited and honored to be able to wear the uniform.” And the fact that she will be able “to serve not only her country, but also serve God and help others,” has made the decision to join “a no-brainer” for her.
That said, Mckeever is certainly no stranger to public service. Indeed, she views the work that she will be doing in religious affairs as an extension of the work she has already been doing for the past three years as a civilian.
Mckeever currently serves as a tactical preventionist- Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce or IPPW with the Oregon National Guard. In this role, she helps promote mental health and wellbeing among servicemembers and their families, with a specific focus on suicide and self-harm prevention.
Her passion for this kind of work is what motivated her to compete in the Mrs. Oregon 2024 competition. Originally from the rural farming community of Boonville, Calif., Mckeever described the pageantry as somewhat out-of-character for her.
“I’m not your typical ‘girly girl,’” she said. “I’m from the country; I wear cowboy boots. I’m not really into the glitz and glam […] and self-promotion.”
However, competing in the pageant enabled her to gain wider public attention for her platform of helping those who are struggling with mental health issues—and that, for her, more than justified the effort.
142nd Wing Chaplain, Maj. Robert Edwards expressed enthusiasm about Mckeever’s coming aboard.
“She is bringing a lot of life experiences and a lot of training […], and a real heart to serve servicemembers,” Edwards said, which will undoubtedly strengthen the chaplain corps of Portland Air National Guard Base.
Indeed, this sentiment is evidently shared by leadership at the National Guard Bureau (NGB). Typically, religious affairs is not an entry-level career field; however, Mckeever was granted special permission to join based on her qualifications and experience.
Crowned as Mrs. Oregon American 2024 in May, and sworn-in as Airman1st Class Mckeever in November, Mckeever said she is happy to continue “doing something for the greater good,” and happy to serve as a strong female role model for her two daughters. And, she said, she is proof positive that “it’s never too late to go after your dreams.”
| Date Taken: | 11.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2024 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 485195 |
| Location: | PORTLAND AIR GUARD STATION, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 1,198 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 142nd Wing Welcomes New Enlisted Airman: Mrs. Oregon American 2024, by SrA Damien Weaver, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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