TOPEKA ( KSNT ) – Serving throughout the Sunflower State and overseas, Topeka native Del-Metrius Herron ensured vital communications stayed operational all across the Middle East.
When the specialist originally began looking into the service a little over a decade ago, she approached that process with a focus on the future.
“I went to just about every single branch of the military,” Herron said, “presented them with my situation cause I was a primary parent at the time, the sole provider of my son. When I was talking with the National Guard recruiter I just felt listened to. I felt like everything that was important to me in order to join, they provided.”
Herron joined with the guard at a unique time in the organization’s history.
“I walked into a field artillery unit,” she said. “Back in 2013, this was around the time that women started going into combat arms. I was one of the first women in my unit, there were two others when I got there. I learned everything from radio systems, satellite systems, electronic systems, basic computer admin work. However, once I got into the field it was a lot different. In field artillery, it was a lot of communication systems. I learned I had to adapt. Essentially anything from making sure they had internet service and that their computers were set up, all the way to making sure that the HIMARS launchers had radio communications, I really did it all.”