U City Woman Promoted to Air Guard Senior Master Sergeant

A University City resident, Mary-Dale Amison, was recently promoted to the rank of senior master sergeant in the Missouri Air National Guard.

 Amison serves fulltime as Wing Visual Information Manager for the 131st Bomb Wing at Lambert – St. Louis International Airport and Whiteman Air Force Base.  Her 25-year military career includes nine years with the U.S. Navy Reserve followed by a smooth transition to the Air National Guard in September of 1995.

“I was a photographer’s mate in the Navy,” said Amison. “My goal was to be a master chief petty officer, but my career field was very small and there just wasn’t a lot of opportunity to advance (in rank). So I moved to the Air National Guard and I have not looked back since.”

As a military photographer, Amison admits to getting some strange reactions to her occupation, including that of her husband, James DeWoskin.

“When I first met Jim, I told him I was a photographer for the military and he said, ‘They do that?’” Amison revealed. “It just never occurs to people that there are such opportunities in military. When you tell people you’re in the Air Force they often assume you fly planes.”

Asked for highlights of her military service Amison mentions her deployment to Qatar in 2010 but is quick to point out other rewards.

“The educational opportunities in the Air Guard are incredible,” Amison said. “I’ve also enjoyed watching those that I’ve trained advance in their careers, but this is the fulfillment of a legacy for me. My father and mother were both in the Navy during World War II; my uncle was a B-29 Bomber pilot, my grandfather served in the Army during World War I, and my sister served in the Army during Vietnam.”

A 1980 graduate of Parkway North High School, Amison has degrees in communications from University of Missouri-St. Louis and Florissant Valley Community College and in audiovisual production services from the Community College of the Air Force.

Her military awards and decorations include the Air Force Commendation Medal; the Joint Service Achievement Medal; the Air Force Achievement Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; the Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal; the Missouri National Guard Commendation Ribbon and the Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal.