Mission Redefined: A Veteran’s First Veterans Day as a Bronco
After years in uniform, Sierra Whitmore found her next mission at Fayetteville State University, where she discovered purpose, community, and a new way to serve.
A smile spreads across the face of Sierra Whitmore, a former Army sergeant, as she shares her plans for Veterans Day—her first since leaving the Army. She’s decided she’ll finally buy her first “U.S. Army Veteran” hat.
Her laugh is soft, almost relieved, and there’s a sense that she understands just how much that simple act means. It’s more than a purchase. It’s a hard-won milestone, a symbol of survival, gratitude, and a tribute to those who never got to see this day or experience what comes after service, college, or the fragile promise of a new beginning.
“Honey, I’m going to celebrate,” she said, her laugh still gentle. For Sierra, this moment isn’t about pride. It’s about honoring how far she’s come and the journey that brought her to this point.
Sierra grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, raised by her mother, Kathy Robinson, whose legacy at a historically Black college inspired both Sierra and her brother. That family influence would later guide Sierra’s path.
At 19, Sierra stepped into her future in a different way by joining the U.S. Army. Her first duty station was Fort Campbell, Kentucky, followed by a nine-month rotation in Korea. In 2021, she arrived at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where a new opportunity awaited. Through the Education Center on base, she began taking her first classes at Fayetteville State University, a decision that would spark a profound personal discovery.
From the very beginning of her academic journey, Sierra felt drawn to the HBCU atmosphere she had grown up around. The culture, the spirit, and the family-style connection all felt familiar and reassuring, providing the perfect environment to support her ambitions.
Her shift from fueling aircraft to studying the building blocks of life didn’t happen overnight. Growing up in the country, Sierra’s family often turned to natural remedies for everyday ailments. Those early experiences stayed with her throughout her military years and eventually inspired her to pursue a major in biology.
As her interest deepened, she transitioned to in-person courses, knowing her concentration in organismal biology would require more hands-on learning than remote coursework could offer.
Sierra didn’t just want a degree. She was determined to comprehend the human body, the natural world, and the mechanisms of healing. She believes the earth already holds natural compounds that can heal neurological diseases, if scientists are willing to look deeply enough.
Inspired by this conviction, she plans to pursue a master’s in biomanufacturing and a doctorate in molecular biology, with the goal of developing vaccines and medicines based on natural remedies.
But Sierra’s ambitions weren’t shaped by academics alone. Her military service profoundly influenced her leadership and outlook. Serving as a petroleum supply specialist, she fueled aviation systems for both domestic and international operations, eventually advancing her to the rank of sergeant promotable.
She led her own section, including during deployment in Syria, where she handled quality surveillance, fuel accountability, and the kind of precision-critical work that leaves no room for shortcuts. That experience, however, offered lessons beyond technical skills. It was what she learned about people that stayed with her.
She learned that mistakes don’t define you unless you let them define you. She learned patience. She learned how to lead individuals who didn’t think or react the same way. And she learned how to care deeply for people from all kinds of backgrounds. Those lessons became the foundation Sierra carried into every new chapter of her life.
Sierra relied on those experiences when she enrolled at FSU full-time and began to build a new life on campus. Drawing on her resilience and leadership, she joined the McNair Scholars Program and served as a historian for a women’s organization called L.E.A.D. (Learning, Excelling, Accepting, Dreaming). She became vice president of the National Council of Negro Women at Fayetteville State University. Additionally, she joined the National Society of Black Women in Medicine, the Student Veterans Association, and the Matriculation Institute.
Her dedication to campus life opened even more doors. Through her involvement with FSU’s Blue Force Tracking team, a group of student veterans raising awareness of veteran experiences across campus, she connected with Cierra Griffin, Ph.D., assistant vice chancellor for Enrollment Management. That growing network of support would prove crucial. Sierra lights up when she talks about the women at FSU who poured into her.
Their encouragement made all the difference. “When I realized how the students and faculty here embraced me as an adult learner,” she said, “I knew I made the right choice coming to FSU.”
Griffin echoed that sense of belonging. “SGT Whitmore is an ideal student,” she said. “She shows up and makes no excuses… I will miss her once she graduates.”
Yet, even with all the support around her, Sierra didn’t always believe she would make it here. That uncertainty grew in the middle of the fall 2023 semester, when news arrived: she was being deployed to Kuwait and then Syria in the spring of 2024. Fear knotted her stomach. Would it all slip away?
Fortunately, advisor Angel Osman worked closely with her, rearranging her schedule so Sierra could hang on to her college dreams, even from a combat zone. When she finally came back, the embrace of FSU faculty and staff felt like a lifeline. She realized then just how important their support was, helping her stitch together the courage to move forward.
“They don’t know it,” she confides, her voice softening with emotion, “but these women are the reason I’ll graduate.”
That sense of belonging has helped Sierra face the realities of living far from home. Every small challenge, from changing apartments to a flat tire, evokes a pang of homesickness, making her yearn for her family. But each test teaches her to reach out, to build new circles of care, to face her fears without shrinking from them.
Every day, she reminds herself: ask for help, dream bigger, and believe her own story can light the way for someone else who is uncertain, standing at the edge of their own beginning.
All of this growth leads to a Veterans Day that feels different from any before. It’s not just a date. It’s her turning point. Sierra gets to step into celebration, into joy, her heart steady with hope. She steps boldly into the unfamiliar, into the space of a woman who once doubted her worth but now knows she has earned every bit of her future, one brave day at a time.
She has claimed this moment through grit and faith. The hat, the celebration, and the pride are milestones earned through courage, uncertainty, and her unwavering choice to move forward, even when the next step felt impossible.
Now, as she stands on the edge of a new chapter, Sierra hopes her journey inspires others to begin their own. Her advice is simple, but hard-earned:
“Don’t think about the how. Just start. And keep going.”
