Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel    
    
        Special Victims Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Michigan Airman embraces nurse assistant program, service By Capt. Andrew Layton,
                Michigan National Guard
 MIDLAND, Michigan - Senior Airman Tiffany McPherson knows exactly why she joined the Michigan Air National Guard. “I didn’t join to become a stranger,” she says. “I joined to get more involved and to do everything I can to make our little piece of the world a better place.” Since 2002, McPherson’s journey in uniform has taken her into three Air Force career fields, each with a unique perspective and skill set. Even after a 10-year break in service, McPherson chose to rejoin the armed forces because she missed the camaraderie and purpose it gave her. She is now an aircrew flight equipment specialist at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. She says her military service is key to gathering a blend of skills she can draw from to do as much good as possible. “I would love to take my security knowledge, my medical knowledge, and my ability to think, act and respond in a systematic way and develop programs, especially for our school systems to prevent and respond to situations like active shooters,” she says. “I’m trying to bring it all together – and we’re getting there!” McPherson’s newest skills are developing through a program started by the Michigan National Guard after the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services asked for help to address the ongoing health care staffing shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with six Michigan Army National Guard members, McPherson stepped up for the health care staffing program’s pilot course, facilitated by Ross Medical Education Center. She and her colleagues are training as certified nursing assistants (CNA) through classroom instruction and hands-on clinical training. The chance to gain a professional medical credential at no personal expense was an opportunity McPherson couldn’t pass up. “I love the medical field, and I love bridging the gap between military and civilian careers, so I felt like this was an opportunity that was designed for me,” McPherson said. “It was like, ‘Heck yeah, I want to do that!’” McPherson has been performing her clinical training at Primrose Retirement Community of Midland. She quickly realized the difference a simple connection could make for the elderly residents. “You only need to be with the residents a short period of time before your heart goes into it,” she said. Almost as gratifying, McPherson says, is the way she has used skills equipped by other military experiences to broaden her scope of care with the residents. “I’ve also been a personal trainer, so I’m used to watching people’s muscular alignment and body movements,” she said. “Walking into a room, assessing a situation and talking to somebody, you can tell if someone’s O2 level is off and they’re confused, or if they haven’t eaten that day and their blood sugars are dropping. That’s almost an instant response that I’m able to take away from the experiences I’ve gained.” Many veterans are among the resident population at Primrose. For McPherson, seeing things like a shadow box of medals over a bed or a service-related tattoo on a resident’s forearm is especially meaningful. “You can be a complete legend for your entire life and then here you are,” she said. “These are our older generations, our brothers and sisters in arms. And they need us – they need people.” As a CNA, McPherson will be able to perform tasks that significantly impact a resident’s quality of life. From checking vital signs to assisting with toileting, ambulating, bathing and feeding, CNAs provide residents with many of the basics they need to sustain life. “It’s been extremely eye-opening and really good,” she said. Since the beginning of the pandemic, McPherson has also helped set up hospital beds at the TCF Center in Detroit, distributed groceries at the Forgotten Harvest Food Bank in Oak Park, and performed logistics and medical testing missions in other areas of the state. It has been a busy two years, but McPherson says that’s what the Michigan National Guard is all about. “Almost every single Guard member, we work in the community and we joined to serve the community,” she said. “We are the electricians. We’re the surgical assistants. We’re the firefighters. We’re the people that work alongside you that love the community and want to help in every way that we can.”
 SHARE
 PRINT
 How the National Guard is helping
 Michigan Air National Guard
 COVID-19
 
 Michigan Air National Guard Airmen briefed on COVID vaccine
 By Tech. Sgt. Anica Simmons,
  Michigan ANG helps keep deploying Airmen safe from COVID-19
 By Capt. Andrew Layton
  Michigan National Guard offers free COVID-19 testing
 By Senior Airman Tristan Viglianco
  More
 Idaho Air Guard Conducts Panther Shadow Exercise5/3/2024Massachusetts Guard Helps Host Crisis Leadership Seminar5/2/2024Massachusetts Air Guard Airmen Test New Air Combat Tactics5/2/2024 View more Guard News »
 Vermont Army Guard Soldiers Attend Brazilian Mountain School5/3/2024
New York Army Guard Soldiers Heading to North Africa4/30/2024
Pennsylvania National Guard Members Deploy to Africa4/19/2024 View more Overseas Operations News »
 North Carolina Guard Welcomes New Zambian State Partnership5/3/2024

Guard Leaders Stress NCOs Role in State Partnership Program5/3/2024

Enduring Partners 2024 Begins with Thai-US Airmen Exchange5/2/2024 View more State Partnership Program News »
 Back-to-school tools for military families8/11/2015DoD sends blended military retirement proposal to Congress6/16/2015First employment symposium held for National Guard spouses5/11/2015 View more Family Programs News »
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil