Rachael Sherman

Rachael Sherman

Rachael Sherman makes a living these days in international purchasing and product management for an e-commerce company.

By Ted Pr yde

When speaking, she exudes the quiet confidence and tenacity of a Marine Corps veteran, and when she reflects on her time of service, it is with pride, dignity, and a sense of purpose that is ingrained. And though the path she took in the Marines was not the one she originally intended to take, it arrived here as a pioneering Crew Chief on the first-ever all-female crew of Marine One.

Back in 2004, 9/11 still fresh in the collective consciousness. Rachael followed her brother

“I thought for sure the world could see my heart beating through my dress blues uniform,”

into the Marines following graduating from West High School in Traverse City, after ascertaining the values her parents had instilled in her while growing up in Grawn, as well as her inherent determination, would serve her well. “I thrived in situations where I was either underestimated or told I wasn’t strong enough,” she says now. Through her recruiter’s original MOS (Military Occupational Specialties), she was enlisted as a helicopter mechanic/crew chief. After recruit and combat training, aircrew school, and SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training, a representative from the HMX-1 Marine Helicopter Squadron One, which directly serves and fly the President of the United States, visited her flight school. Upon filling out a form, Rachael learned that she would be joining, no matter her thoughts or opinions on the subject. The insistence did not sit well at first. “With the images of the smokey New York skyline still fresh in my brain, I had joined the Marine Corps to fight for my country.” But upon learning the exacting requirements to be upon Marine One, as well as the fact there had been only one female

crew chief on Marine One prior, and suddenly Rachael had a challenge she could rise to and embrace. “The fire burned,” she reflects now.

After diligently achieving the required qualifications and successfully attacking the fitness standards, all while maintaining good standing among her peers, Rachael’s selection for the team was made public. Shortly after that, the wheels were set in motion to arrange the very first all-female crew to transport President Obama by helicopter on July 16, 2009. “I thought for sure the world could see my heart beating through my dress blues uniform,” Rachael says, adding, “This was one of my best memories during my time as a Marine One crew chief.”

It was after her time in the Marine Corps that Rachael realized how much she missed Northern Michigan, and returned. The sense of purpose she had carried all the while of being a part of HMX-1 Marine Helicopter Squadron One remained, and soon she found a new focus in the exceptional veteran support community in the area. “I didn’t find this community until about a year after I moved back to Traverse City, and I reached out to Becki Bigelow, who gave me a tour of Reining Liberty Ranch and introduced me to some horses. After completing the Horses for Heroes program, I started meeting other people like John and Kim Lefler, Starla Owens, Vickie Hays, George Champlin, and many others. These people are just a handful of many in this town who commit endless amounts of time and energy to make the lives of the veterans who live here better. This end is what makes me proud.”

“This was one of my best memories during my time as a Marine One crew chief.”

Today, Rachael, with the determination she always carried, and the discipline that being a Marine fostered, has found a voice for herself and fellow veterans, and for that, we should all be proud of her.

Helping You Live A Healthy, Inspired And Joyl Life

As a cabinet maker my work requires physical strength…One day while installing a cabinet I felt a pop in my shoulder…and a sinking feeling that I hurt myself pretty bad. Surgery wasn’t an option being self employed. My wife suggested I go see Dr Chris…I made an appointment as a last resort. After years of pain and restrictive movement in my arm, it took only one session with Dr Chris to realize I would not only have movement without pain, but strength back into my arm. Dennis, Traverse City, MI

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