139th News

Spotlight of an Airman: Sara White

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Adam Miller
  • 139th Airlift Wing
ROSECRANS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mo. --  Before enlisting into the Air National Guard, Airman 1st Class Sara White worked at a local hardware store. One of her customers was an aircraft loadmaster assigned to the 180th Airlift Squadron. She would hear stories of adventures in the C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft that the unit operates.

“He would come into the store and talk about the base and his job,” said White. “I wanted a cool job where I got to be on a plane.”

Although she never caught his name, those encounters contributed to her joining the unit in 2017 as a loadmaster herself. In that position she is responsible for loading and securing cargo and passengers on the C-130.

White recently finished technical school, and is currently conducting on-the-job training at the base.

Her desire to fly doesn’t stop there. White said she wants to pursue a pilot’s license and fly the C-130.

When she joined the Guard she also received tuition assistance and plans to attend Northwest Missouri State University majoring in elementary education.

White comes from a large family and is very proud of her grandfather who was part of the Illinois Air National Guard where he served in Vietnam.