LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — March marks the return of Channel 13's "Veteran's Voice" campaign, highlighting the stories of local veterans and those working to serve the heroes who served our country.
March is also Women's History Month, and with 25,000 women veterans in Nevada, there's no better time to highlight the story of one woman in our community whose dedication to service didn't end with her time in the military.
"I love the Air Force," said Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Argie Moore. "If you ask my friends, they'll probably tell you I bleed 'Air Force blue.'"
Col. Argie Moore shares her story with Channel 13
Military service was never a question for Moore.
"I've known since I was 16 years old that I was destined to serve my country," Moore said. "It is a family tradition—I've had family members serve courageously and honorably in every war since the Revolutionary War."
Her decorated 25-year career in Air Force logistics—marked by a Legion of Merit Award and a Bronze Star—took her all around the globe and across the country over 11 assignments and seven deployments. That included overseas to Afghanistan and Iraq, and here in the valley at Nellis Air Force Base, where she and her husband chose to put down roots after she retired in 2021.
"We fell in love with this community," Moore said. "This is home and we love it."
However, Moore's career was almost grounded before it took off.
"I had a bad first assignment, and in 1999, I had to make a decision on whether to separate [from the Air Force], or to take another assignment," Moore said. "I was talking to one of my mentors, and I said, 'I don't know if this is for me.' She reminded me that I cannot allow people that don't have my best interest [in mind] to have that much power and control over my future."
Moore took that next assignment, and she's carried that lesson with her through her post-military life since—dedicating her time to helping women who've walked a similar path.
"Sadly, too many women veterans don't identify with being veterans," Moore said. "I rock my gear all the time, whether it's my hat, my pins, my t-shirts—I want women veterans to own their story, tell their story."
She wants to help them access potentially life-saving resources, too.
"Unfortunately, the suicide rate for women veterans is about two and a half times more than our civilian counterparts," Moore said. "If they're connected to the right resources, they're much more likely to transition successfully, thrive and survive."
Retired Air Force Col. Argie Moore says she proud to continue her family's long, honorable legacy of military and civilian service.
"I am absolutely proud, I've had an amazing career," Moore said. "Most of all, it's being patriotic and thankful for the opportunity that I had to serve my country."
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