News

Commander is named

By Scott Wagar

05/01/2012

Bottineau resident, Heather Thompson, has been granted the distinct honor of being named the first female commander of a district office in the entire history of the North Dakota American Legion organization.

Thompson is a member of Bottineau’s American Legion Post #42, and was chosen in March as the commander of North Dakota American Legion Sixth District office by her fellow district members.

“It feels good to be named the first female district commander and I’m excited to start my command,” said Thompson, who also stated that being named the first female district commander in the state’s history is a victory for all women who wear the uniform. “It was hard fought for, and this is a huge accomplishment for not only me, but for our post, the unit right down the street and for all female veterans in the state as well.”

As commander of the Sixth District, Thompson will be in charge of 29 posts in the northwest region of the state.
Thompson was born and raised in Powers Lake, ND.

Thompson is a graduate of Powers Lake High School and earned degrees in water quality and nursing at Dakota College at Bottineau. She is presently employed with the Good Samaritan Society, Bottineau as a nurse.

Thompson served in the North Dakota National Guard from 1993 to 2011. She started out in transportation with the guard, but after a year of service transferred to the water quality unit in Bottineau.

“I was going to college here,” Thompson said. “So, I transferred over to Bottineau’s National Guard Unit.”

In 2003, she was deployed with Bottineau’s guard unit to Ft. Lewis in Washington State during Operation Iraq Freedom.

“The Bottineau-Cando-Rugby Water Quality Unit was deployed in March until May,” Thompson said. “The day we were to leave for overseas, we were given new orders to return home because we were not needed in the war effort.”

When Thompson retired from the guard she was an E-5 Sergeant and the water NCO for her unit.

Thompson’s term as commander is for one year. With her acquiesce as the new Sixth District commander, Thompson now has the opportunity to hold positions at the state level, and eventually become the first female to be named the state commander of North Dakota’s American Legion.

For now, Thompson’s focus is on her current district. “My goal is to serve the Sixth District in the most honorable way,” she said.