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Niagara Air Force civilian goes green

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kevin Nichols
  • 914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. --  For newly appointed 1st Lt. Nikki Slaughter, U.S. Army Reserve, a lifelong goal has finally been accomplished.

Slaughter was commissioned into the Army as a first lieutenant during a ceremony at the Buffalo City Courthouse, Buffalo N.Y. March 19, 2013.

Family and friends gathered as retired Col. Jim Germain, U.S. Air Force Reserve, read the oath of commissioned officers.

Among her friends attending were several members of the 914th Airlift Wing, of which Slaughter is also a civilian member. As an Air Force civilian Airman, she is the wing's Sexual Assault Response Coordinator and Behavioral Health Support Coordinator.

Although thinking about a commission has been on her mind since high school it wasn't until about six years ago that Slaughter walked into an Armed Forces Recruiting Center.

"It was late as I went in and the Army was the only one there," said Slaughter. "The Army said someone would call me and when they didn't call me back and I thought perhaps they didn't need me because I was interested in a commission and not enlisting."

About a year later, the Army called her back.

Unfortunately, Slaughter had just begun her federal civilian career with the Veterans Administration in Buffalo working as a substance abuse counselor and veteran's treatment court liaison officer. Not wanting to disrupt her new civilian career, a military career was again put on hold.

In her work for the VA as a veteran's court liaison, Slaughter had the opportunity to meet and work with veterans of all service branches. It was in the veteran's court that she also had the privilege of working closely with military veterans who volunteered as mentors to those in the court process.

"Working with mentors from all branches of the service, seeing their support and the giving back to their fellow veterans; I liked that," said Slaughter.

As she worked alongside the veteran mentors in her role as a VA social worker for a few years, Slaughter's attention again turned to a military commission and the desire to become a mentor herself one day.

She again contacted the Army and after a 15 month process, during which time a change in civilian jobs also took place, all became in order for the commissioning ceremony to take place.

Slaughter chose the venue of the Buffalo City Courthouse for the ceremony in recognition of all her time spent working in the veteran's court before the Hon. Robert T. Russell, Buffalo City Court Judge.

Judge Russell was given the honor of helping pin lieutenant bars on this former civilian and spoke warmly of the new first lieutenant and her years working in his courtroom.

"She has been with us since practically the beginning of veteran's court," said Russell. "We will miss her dearly, but our loss is the U.S. Army's gain."

In her military capacity Slaughter is assigned to the 328th Medical Detachment, Coraopolis, Pa.