Air Force officer to receive University of Alabama's Legendary Service Award
A military officer who is pursuing an online degree from the University of Alabama will receive an award Saturday that honors her commitment to the community.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Sarah Neal will receive UA's 2022 Legendary Service Award during the Alabama-Austin Peay game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
“Staff Sgt. Neal has channeled her perseverance into a passion for helping others,” said Robert Hayes, interim associate provost for the Office of Teaching Innovation and Digital Education, which houses UA Online. “Her commitment to excellence in her work with the military and her community while pursuing a degree through UA Online is truly inspiring.”
UA will also present Army Staff Sgt. Richard Mallory with an American flag in honor of his service before the 11 a.m. kickoff of Saturday's game, which will include a flyover by the 49th Fighter Training Squadron from Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.
According to a UA news release, Neal enlisted as a reservist when she was 22, but she was inspired to serve in an active-duty capacity after experiencing a search and rescue mission at Patrick Space Force Base in Brevard County, Florida.
“If there’s a cruise ship that needs help or someone overboard that needs [to be] rescued, we’re deployed,” Neal said. “We protect our allies if a plane goes down and we support local hurricane rescue efforts. Once I became part of this mission, that’s when I realized how amazing the military really is, and that’s what made me become active duty.”
In 2018, Neal became part of the airfield flight equipment crew, which helps maintain critical equipment for aircrews. In December, she will be promoted to the rank of technical sergeant for her commitment to developing the airmen in her unit. She has also been honored as the noncommissioned officer of the quarter at the wing level at her base and nominated for Aircrew Flight Equipment NCO of the Year for the entire U.S. Air Force.
Neal and her husband had a son, Justin, born in August, but she still finds time to volunteer.
She has organized a local “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” 5K — a race that raises awareness of rape, sexual assault and gender violence — as well as a 5K that raised more than $4,000 in support of the armed forces. She also organizes volunteer opportunities between her unit and the local zoo and animal shelters and works to help members of her community find opportunities to volunteer.
“I’m big on things for the local community,” Neal said. “I feel like there’s so many organizations that I want everybody to be a part of, and I try to get as much coordinated as I can.”
Neal said she chose UA Online because of the flexible programs and UA's reputation for being military-friendly.
The Legendary Service Award includes a tuition grant that Neal can use for online courses at UA. She has three classes to take before she graduates and earns a master of arts degree in management with a concentration in global business.
It's been a challenge to balance coursework with her military service and family life, but Neal said her UA professors have been understanding.
“Every instructor has been super-willing to work with me and my schedule,” Neal said. “It’s nice to feel like military service members still have the opportunity because [the instructors are] willing to work with us.”
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Air Force staff sergeant to receive UA's Legendary Service Award
