#VeteranOfTheDay Air Force Veteran Sandy Franks

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Air Force Master Sergeant Sandy Franks. Sandy served from 1974 to 1997.

Sandy enlisted in the Air Force in 1974 when she was 24 years old and a mother of two. During her time in the Air Force, she became the first female First Sergeant of a Pararescue Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Sandy and her squadron of 165 people were also the first to have the UH-60 helicopter.

Sandy’s traveled to England where she witnessed Soviet inspectors arrive as part of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty that banned ground base cruise missiles that her squadron had ready. She also witnessed some of the fall of the Berlin Wall, when she was stationed in Germany.

Sandy retired from the Air Force 23 years to the day she enlisted on August 1^st, 1997. She now leads a group called Women Veterans of the Ark-La-Tex, which is a multi-service women’s group that makes plans to install a life-size statue in Bossier City, Louisiana to honor women Veterans.

Thank you for your service, Sandy!

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Graphic By Whitney Moore: Whitney is an undergraduate senior at Southern New Hampshire University studying Social Media Marketing.