Following in family members’ footsteps, Spc. Breyonnha Chester of Philadelphia serves as a transportation provider with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, balancing that commitment with a civilian job as a mail carrier and postal supervisor.
Chester, who found herself front and center following Hurricane Harvey delivering supplies to flood-ravaged Texas in her military capacity, felt called to enlist in the National Guard from early on in her life.
"My dad and grandad both served," Chester said in a press release. "I always knew growing up that joining the military and helping others was something I wanted to do."
Praising the National Guard’s response to Harvey, she drew parallels between her two positions, both of which involve responsibility for and guidance of others. With the Guard, she serves as a team leader as well as conveying vehicles; at the Newton, Pennsylvania, post office, she is an assistant supervisor.
"Though they're quite different jobs, I've found similarities between the two positions because I serve in a leadership role in both," she said. "As Citizen-Soldiers, it takes a lot for someone to put their personal life on hold and be ready to assist at a moment's notice," said Chester. "I'm proud to call these people my battle buddies."
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