The drive to serve is in April Brown's blood. With military history on both sides of her family tree, joining the service was always on her mind. "I wanted to serve because I have a patriotic spirit-but I also had a desire to defend and preserve our American freedoms," she says.

Initially, Brown decided to join the Air Force, even completing their ROTC advanced camp. But when they told her she'd have to wait a year to enlist, she didn't want to put her plans on hold. Instead, Brown found her home with the Kentucky National Guard earning numerous awards during her service, including the NATO Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Order of Saint George.

"It's something I truly believe, that we should all serve in some way-either in the military or in our communities," Brown says, and she's lived up to her own words. While in the National Guard, she completed human resources and in particular equal opportunity training: an important field in the military as it allows members to express concerns over unfair treatment, harassment, or discrimination. This program also focused on the importance of bringing together people from varied backgrounds whose unique talents could benefit their military stations. "This training really helped me realize how much more we can accomplish if we have different people with distinct thoughts in our military," she says.

This focus on working together to create a positive impact carries over into Brown's civilian life as well. She's extremely involved in her community, from supporting her children's school fundraisers to advocating for veterans. After learning that only 40% of the veterans in Kentucky are using their VA healthcare, for example, Brown began an outreach program to make local veterans aware of their benefits and how to register for them. Other organizations she supports include The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Lady Veterans Connect, and Kentucky Honor Flight.

Recently, Brown has also become more involved with the Kentucky National Guard Memorial in Frankfort: a sacred space honoring past and present service members. This organization provides a place for families, friends, and citizens to remember, reflect, and learn about the sacrifices of local veterans, in service to a cause greater than themselves.
For Brown, dedicating her life to serving the veteran community is an easy choice. "The more you get to know our veterans, the more you get to love them," she says. "So many of them are continuing to serve into their 80s and 90s, so I'll be doing this for as long as I can."

Learn more about the Kentucky National Guard Memorial and how they honor the service of veterans on their website: https://kyngmemorial.org.

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