Behind the Uniform: Spc. Danielle Flickinger
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”4411″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1592579757527{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]By Sgt. James Nowell-Coleman, 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1592583366499{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]Spc. Danielle Flickinger, from La Plata, Maryland, a motor transport operator with the 1229th Transportation Company, based in Baltimore, helps box and distribute meals to the community. Flickinger and her team members are working with the staff of Alexander Hamilton Elementary School to serve the neighborhood.
Q: Time in Service
A: Two years
Q:Why did you join the MDNG?
A: I joined to give back to my community. I wanted to do something that was bigger than I. I found an opportunity where I can be challenged in different ways. I can see things in different perspectives but also challenge myself and overcome things I never thought I’d ever have to face. I choose 88M [motor transport operator] because I’ve always been a fan of driving, racing, and just dealing with cars. This would be an opportunity to expand my knowledge and, of course, get a commercial drivers license, which will transfer to the civilian [workforce].
Q: How does it feel to work in your community?
A: It’s different because I’ve never experienced anything like this. When I joined the military, I thought the first thing I was activated for would be to go to Afghanistan or Iraq and not fight a virus. Being here is our job and it’s something that goes a long way when you give someone a bag of food.
Q: Do you think your training has prepared you for this activation?
A: Absolutely. The reason is that this is a team effort. I believe in the leadership and keeping an open mind. To take things as they come, everything could change in a split second. Missions can come up randomly. The virus could get worse or get better, and when something happens, it happens, and then we go from there.
Q: What is your favorite part of being a soldier?
A: Being around people with different backgrounds. I’m learning something every day, having the opportunity to see how people work in different situations, gaining a family that you never knew that you could have and getting challenged. I’ve faced so many challenges here. It’s so rewarding because when I walk out of here, I know I did something that I can take away and teach the next person behind me.
Q: Do you think people in the National Guard are the same or different than civilians?
A: We are the same. Just like everybody, we have a job and we have a purpose. We still have the same mission: keep each other safe, be there for one another. Having this uniform on means I have greater responsibilities, but I don’t see much of a difference. We all stand together, and we should all help each other every chance that we get.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]