Stollery Is September’s Veteran Of The Month
September 14, 2022 at 1:11 a.m.
Stollery Is September’s Veteran Of The Month
By David L. Slone-
Janna Adair Stollery was born in Warsaw on Sept. 11, 1951, and raised in Syracuse by Robert E. and Helene C. Adair.
She graduated as part of the first class from Wawasee High School in June 1969.
She entered the United States Air Force in October 1969 in Indianapolis. “According to her, apparently, back then, they were in a hurry to get you in so while she was at the airport, she did the oath. That’s not the way we do it now. That was an interesting fact that caught me by surprise,” County Veteran Service Officer Darryl McDowell said while reading Stollery’s biography during the Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting Tuesday.
After completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, she was transferred to Keesler AFB, Miss., for technology training as an administrative specialist. After graduating technology training, she remained at Keesler, assigned to the USAF Postal and Courier Service, working in the mail distribution center.
After completing her first enlistment, Stollery continued her service to the nation by re-enlisting several more times, culminating at her military retirement ceremony on Feb. 1, 1990, with the rank of master sergeant.
Throughout her career, she was noticed by her peers and supervisors for her organizational and administrative skills, McDowell said. In May 1972, she was selected to be the sole administrative member to work on the Instructional Systems Development Team to rewrite the Air Force’s phase manuals and syllabi for several of the key Air platforms. In March 1974, as a new staff sergeant, she was transferred to Keflavik, Iceland, to become the non-commissioned officer-in-charge (NCOIC) of administration for the chief of supply of Air Forces Command, Iceland.
In May 1980, she was selected for the rank of technical sergeant and to attend the NCO Academy in Tyndall AFB, Fla. After completing the NCO Academy in 1981, she started a new career in the Special Duty Assignments Branch as a student training advisor for the 4582rd Student Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
In 1985, she was selected for the rank of master sergeant and sent to attend instructor training at Maxwell AFB, Ala. After training completion, she returned to Hurlburt Field, Fla., to begin teaching professional military education subjects of leadership and management, communicative skills, drill and ceremonies and world affairs to 30 sergeants and staff sergeants in each of the 10 classes annually. Her culminating duty assignment was being selected as the first female commandant of the 23rd Air Force NCO Leadership School.
Though all of her duty assignments, she was able to earn two Associate in Applied Science degrees from the Community College of the Air Force in administrative management and instructor technology, and pursue a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Resource Management from Troy State University prior to her retirement February 1990.
After her retirement, she remained in Florida to complete her BAS degree and earned a master’s degree in business administration degree from Troy State University as well.
While on active duty, Master Sgt. Stollery received awards that included the following: Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Ribbon, Air Force Good Conduct Medal and Air Force Overseas Ribbon.
In October 2013, Stollery returned to Indiana to her home on Waubee Lake that she bought in 2007.
She is a member of the American Legion Post 223 and Auxiliary in Syracuse, currently holding the position as post chaplain and member of the Post Honor Guard.
“What she loves most and what her continuing theme is, is no matter where she was assigned on active duty, she always found time to volunteer. So her biggest thing is, what she loves most, is volunteering,” McDowell said.
She is often asked why she spends so much time doing so much for so little. She simply states she has a “volunteer heart.” For her, there is no greater joy than doing for those who can’t do for themselves, McDowell said.
After receiving her framed certificate, Stollery said, “I want to thank everyone for coming. Thank Mr. McDowell. Our service officer at the American Legion is Chris Longbaugh, and he’s the one who said, ‘I think I want to put you in for this recognition.’ I wasn’t real keen on it, but it’s an honor and I’m very thankful to be here and to be back home. Thank you.”
Janna Adair Stollery was born in Warsaw on Sept. 11, 1951, and raised in Syracuse by Robert E. and Helene C. Adair.
She graduated as part of the first class from Wawasee High School in June 1969.
She entered the United States Air Force in October 1969 in Indianapolis. “According to her, apparently, back then, they were in a hurry to get you in so while she was at the airport, she did the oath. That’s not the way we do it now. That was an interesting fact that caught me by surprise,” County Veteran Service Officer Darryl McDowell said while reading Stollery’s biography during the Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting Tuesday.
After completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, she was transferred to Keesler AFB, Miss., for technology training as an administrative specialist. After graduating technology training, she remained at Keesler, assigned to the USAF Postal and Courier Service, working in the mail distribution center.
After completing her first enlistment, Stollery continued her service to the nation by re-enlisting several more times, culminating at her military retirement ceremony on Feb. 1, 1990, with the rank of master sergeant.
Throughout her career, she was noticed by her peers and supervisors for her organizational and administrative skills, McDowell said. In May 1972, she was selected to be the sole administrative member to work on the Instructional Systems Development Team to rewrite the Air Force’s phase manuals and syllabi for several of the key Air platforms. In March 1974, as a new staff sergeant, she was transferred to Keflavik, Iceland, to become the non-commissioned officer-in-charge (NCOIC) of administration for the chief of supply of Air Forces Command, Iceland.
In May 1980, she was selected for the rank of technical sergeant and to attend the NCO Academy in Tyndall AFB, Fla. After completing the NCO Academy in 1981, she started a new career in the Special Duty Assignments Branch as a student training advisor for the 4582rd Student Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
In 1985, she was selected for the rank of master sergeant and sent to attend instructor training at Maxwell AFB, Ala. After training completion, she returned to Hurlburt Field, Fla., to begin teaching professional military education subjects of leadership and management, communicative skills, drill and ceremonies and world affairs to 30 sergeants and staff sergeants in each of the 10 classes annually. Her culminating duty assignment was being selected as the first female commandant of the 23rd Air Force NCO Leadership School.
Though all of her duty assignments, she was able to earn two Associate in Applied Science degrees from the Community College of the Air Force in administrative management and instructor technology, and pursue a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Resource Management from Troy State University prior to her retirement February 1990.
After her retirement, she remained in Florida to complete her BAS degree and earned a master’s degree in business administration degree from Troy State University as well.
While on active duty, Master Sgt. Stollery received awards that included the following: Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Ribbon, Air Force Good Conduct Medal and Air Force Overseas Ribbon.
In October 2013, Stollery returned to Indiana to her home on Waubee Lake that she bought in 2007.
She is a member of the American Legion Post 223 and Auxiliary in Syracuse, currently holding the position as post chaplain and member of the Post Honor Guard.
“What she loves most and what her continuing theme is, is no matter where she was assigned on active duty, she always found time to volunteer. So her biggest thing is, what she loves most, is volunteering,” McDowell said.
She is often asked why she spends so much time doing so much for so little. She simply states she has a “volunteer heart.” For her, there is no greater joy than doing for those who can’t do for themselves, McDowell said.
After receiving her framed certificate, Stollery said, “I want to thank everyone for coming. Thank Mr. McDowell. Our service officer at the American Legion is Chris Longbaugh, and he’s the one who said, ‘I think I want to put you in for this recognition.’ I wasn’t real keen on it, but it’s an honor and I’m very thankful to be here and to be back home. Thank you.”
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