07/24/2026
Our Hero of the Week is Olda Cannon. Olda joined the United States Air Force in 2005 as a dental technician, but her journey to military service began long before she raised her right hand. She overcame many challenges to reach that moment and demonstrated the perseverance, discipline, and determination that would define her entire career. While working full time, Olda continued her education and earned a bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University. She was stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, where she quickly distinguished herself through her professionalism, work ethic, military bearing, and dedication to excellence. Her outstanding performance earned her numerous awards and recognitions throughout her active-duty service. After five years of active duty and the birth of our first child, Olda transitioned into the Arkansas Air National Guard, serving in Knowledge Operations Management. During this time, she welcomed two more children while continuing to meet the demanding standards of military service. She consistently maintained physical fitness scores above 90 percent, successfully completed multiple inspections with zero findings, and was promoted ahead of many of her peers. In 2016, Olda and our family moved to Naylor, Missouri, to begin a new chapter as commercial poultry farmers. She transferred to the Missouri Air National Guard and returned to her original Air Force career field as a dental technician. Her leadership, professionalism, and commitment to mission readiness ultimately led to her promotion to the rank of E-7, Master Sergeant.
In her final years of service, Olda made deployment readiness a top priority, consistently maintaining readiness rates above 95 percent among the Airmen and patients entrusted to her care. Her supervisors recognized her exceptional leadership and offered her opportunities to remain in service and continue advancing. However, after faithfully serving for 20 years, Olda chose to prioritize her family and retired from the United States Air Force in 2025.
Her story is a remarkable example of the American spirit. From immigrating to the United States and becoming an American citizen to completing 20 honorable years of military service, Olda has consistently demonstrated integrity, service before self, and excellence in all she does. Although she has retired from military service, her commitment to serving others continues. Olda and our family have now been called to serve as missionaries in Vicenza, Italy, where we will minister to the local community and to American military families connected with the Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade. Even in retirement, she will continue mentoring, encouraging, and serving military members and their families overseas. Today, we honor and thank Master Sergeant Olda Cannon for her 20 years of faithful service, her personal sacrifices, and her unwavering devotion to her family, her fellow service members, and her chosen nation—the United States of America.
