An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Feb. 11, 2022

New Hampshire National Guard Airman leads by example

By Staff Sgt. Victoria Nelson, 157th Air Refueling Wing

SEABROOK, N.H. – On a dreary day outside the Seabrook Emergency Room, the roads are slick with slush and hail and the temperatures fluctuate in and out of single digits. Luckily, the waiting room is warm and empty inside the sliding doors. A nurse bustles in from the cold and Senior Airman Devin Kentwallace greets her with a vibrant smile. 

Kentwallace is an aerospace medic with the 157th Air Refueling Wing. 

She managed the front desk at the Portsmouth Hospital Seabrook Emergency Room for five weeks,  supporting New Hampshire’s current COVID-19 relief mission. However, her efforts in supporting the state and the nation are two years and counting. 

“One of the most attractive things about the Guard for me is that we get to go so many different places and help in so many different capacities,” she said. 

Kentwallace enlisted in the New Hampshire Air National Guard in 2019. Soon after she returned home from basic and technical training, the vaccine rollout began in the winter of 2020. 

U.S. Army Capt. Ray Youngs, the officer in charge of the Concord vaccination site, said newly-trained Kentwallace gave the most vaccines at two of the busiest sites in the state.

“She was my max vax-er,” he said. “A high speed and high energy Airmen, the kind you would love to have a whole squad of.”

After the COVID missions ended in July, Kentwallace went to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey to help incoming refugees. While there, she stood up the Afghanistan refugee temporary hospital and housing.

“It’s something new all the time,” she laughed. “Now, it’s nice to be able to help out at home.”

Capt. Jacob Ricciotti, the officer in charge of the seacoast region for Joint Task Force Winter Surge, said Kentwallace uses her experiences to be a multifaceted and well-rounded member of the Air National Guard.

“She’s one of those Airmen who, every time, raise their hand and volunteer for a mission,” he said, adding she gets better at every job she’s given. “We have been thrilled to have her.”

Kentwallace enlisted in the Guard to help pay for nursing school. While she serves, she takes online classes at Great Bay Community College and has applied to their nursing program, which starts in the fall. 

“Going to school, being away from family and trying to balance everything can be tricky,” she said. “Honestly though, putting on the uniform, going out into the world and helping people has been the most rewarding thing.”

 

 

Related Articles
Airman 1st Class Ashlyn Levine, a supply specialist with the 157th Logistics Readiness Squadron, adds a canteen belt to an Airman's mobility bag, Sept. 7, 2024, at Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire. The 157th Air Refueling Wing is set to deploy multiple KC-46 aircraft and more than 180 Airmen to Southeast Asia later this fall in what will be the first operational deployment of the Air Force’s next-generation tanker.
New Hampshire Guard Airmen Prepare for 1st KC-46 Deployment
By Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Huffman, | Sept. 10, 2024
PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. – Airmen, families and members of Congress gathered inside Hangar 254 Sept. 8 to honor more than 180 Airmen who will deploy to support U.S. Central Command this fall.It will be the U.S. Air...

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Matthew Salazar, a crew chief with the 169th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, South Carolina Air National Guard, washes the canopy on an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet during exercise Sentry Savannah hosted by the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Georgia, May 9, 2024. Sentry Savannah is the Air National Guard’s premier 4th- and 5th-gen fighter integration exercise, with this year’s event involving more than 775 participants and 40 aircraft from six units.
Air Guard Units Test Readiness at Sentry Savannah Exercise
By 2nd Lt. Nicole Szews, | May 22, 2024
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Over 775 participants and 40 aircraft from units across the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Active Duty Air Force participated in Sentry Savannah 2024, the Air National Guard’s premier fighter...

Staff Sgt. Dustin Allison, an aerospace medic with the 157th Medical Group, draws blood from Kevin Drew, Catholic Medical Center Emergency Room director, as part of a training affiliation agreement between the New Hampshire Air National Guard and CMC April 17, 2024, in Manchester, New Hampshire. The partnership provides an extra set of hands in the hospital’s emergency department and gives the Airmen real-world training with industry partners on more than 100 critical skill-based responsibilities.
New Hampshire Airmen Train in Medical Center Emergency Room
By Tech. Sgt. Victoria Nelson, | May 8, 2024
PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. – Staff Sgt. During a recent training opportunity, Dustin Allison, an aerospace medic with the 157th Medical Group, was a part of the buzz in the Catholic Medical Center’s busy Manchester...