BELL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — Adrienne Evans-Quickley is a retired U.S. Army veteran, living in Bell County, Texas.
She may be a neighbor now, but her story begins as a military dependent around the world.
”I was born at Fort Meade, Maryland, and that should tell you something,” Evans-Quickley said.
"We lived overseas, went to school in France, Italy, and Germany, then back to the States.”
Ironically, she joined the Army to see the world and planned on becoming a Military Police Officer.
When she enlisted in the 1970's, she became the last woman to have to do so through the Women’s Army Corps — the only option for women until then.
"While I was waiting for the MP school to start, they were phasing through the last of the women to actually be in the Women’s Army Corps because we were going into the “All Men’s Army”, as we called it back then,” Evans-Quickley said.
She went on to serve a full career in the Army and retired as a Sergeant First Class in 2004.
She hasn’t wasted any of the two decades since.
"Well, I delved into my community — I kept hearing about citizen soldiers out of uniform, so I have joined the Women’s Army Corps of Veterans and became president of one of the local chapters," Evans-Quickley said.
"I joined the VFW and the DAV, and I do volunteer work for No Veteran Dies Alone at the VA hospital.”
She's also the proud wife of a local pastor of Shorter Chapel AME Church — Rev. Dr. William Quickley.
That list only scratches the surface of what she is doing to continue serving, and those who served with her in uniform said it’s just who she is.
"She is a go-getter — she never stops, she’s always helping people," said Sherry Sholts, U.S. Army veteran who served with Evans-Quickley.
"She never really stops and takes care of herself — which is what I try to tell her all the time.”
For Evans-Quickley, her service never stops.
”I like to be able to let folks know that once you’re out of uniform, you still have a give back mentality for your community,” she said.
"I love helping veterans and doing things with my fellow veterans and supporting the community.”
Evans-Quickley says her time in the military was only one mission of service and that honor now belongs to her community.
