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Tag: Commission

Single-Parent Reservist rises above challenges to earn wings
May 6, 2019 — Imagine being a single-parent of two, completing a bachelor's degree and independently financing pilot training in order to accomplish the dream of becoming a reserve pilot with the 315th Airlift Wing, all within five short years. Being a single parent is no easy feat, but Staff Sgt. Shakeyna Smith, aviation resource management technician with the 701st Airlift Squadron here, accepted the challenges that greeted her. From parenting her two small children as a teenage mother to pursuing higher education in psychology and aviation, Smith has embodied excellence in all she does... MORE

Staff Sgt. Shakeyna Smith, aviation resource management technician with the 701st Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, stands next to a Cessna 172 before taking flight, Jan. 25, 2019, in North Charleston, South Carolina. Smith completed 72 hours of flight time through Charleston Regional Accelerated Flight Training and IFR6 of N. Charleston, S.C., before persuing a commision in the U.S. Air Force to pilot C-17 Globemaster III's while being a single parent of two, a full-time college student and an Air Force Reservist. (Courtesy photo/Staff Sgt. Shakeyna Smith)