13-03-2025
Veteran Salute: Fueling overseas during the Gulf War
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Born in Garden City, growing up in Glasco and finishing Junior College in Concordia Janell McMillan realized she wanted something different from life. That mindset put her on the pathway of joining the few and the proud through the Marines.
'I had graduated from cloud county community college with an associate of arts degree, and just wanted to get out of the small town of Concordia Kansas,' McMillan said. 'Told my Mom, I'm joining the Marine Corp.'
Stationed in Bogue Field as a Lance Corporal, McMillan quickly found an affinity for her work as an aircraft refueler.
'I loved working with the planes,' McMillan said. 'We were a fixed wing unit. We did C130's, we did AV-8B's, we did other types of jets, F16's. I got to test fuel, I got to refuel aircraft, I got to do a little bit of everything. I even got to do clerical, and I received a meritorious mast for the clerical, because it was above my pay grade.'
The Corporal would put that wide array of skills to the test overseas, as the Gulf War conflict escalated.
'We started doing inspections, getting our gear ready, getting our pumps ready, getting our fuel bags ready,' She said. 'We ended up going to Saudi Arabia where we set up a flight line. We switched from a fixed wing unit to a rotary wing unit, and did mostly helo's as refueling.'
After her time in the Marine Corp. came to a close, McMillan would continue giving back through public service working as a public servant in a courthouse, state prison, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and at the Topeka VA.
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