Newcastle graduate heading overseas

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Continuing in her grandfather’s footsteps, 2018 Newcastle High School graduate Hallee McCoy joined the Wyoming Army National Guard after graduation and was deployed on her first overseas mission to the Middle East on Sept. 19.
“I’m proud that she has chosen a path that she can carry with her for many years,” said her mother, Robyn Stanton. “She is following in so many family members’ shoes in the military. Both her grandfathers were servicemen, her uncle as a national guardsman and so many more! There is so much pride in my heart for her. She is among an elite group, and it’s not an easy path for any family to travel. It’s amazing the support we have received from our community, especially the school and all the kids. We are so blessed to be in such a wonderful community.” 
The Stanton and McCoy families announced the deployment news in an Aug. 30 Facebook post, which received over 280 likes and a multitude of comments, all wishing the young woman good luck and best wishes on her journey. 
McCoy said that she joined the National Guard because of her passion for helping people and doing things for her community. The idea posed by a family member sparked an initial response of “no way, not in a million years.” McCoy said it wasn’t until she really looked into military service that she realized it was a good fit for her. 
“It really matched up with my personality,” McCoy said. “I am athletic and like to stay busy. I like to give back to those who went out of their way to make things happen for me. It is a very humbling experience, in my opinion. It takes courage, responsibility, thick skin and dedication.” 
McCoy’s journey to deployment involved months of training including basic training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina and advanced individual training at Fort Gordon in Georgia and being away from home before returning to Wyoming and getting a job as a para professional at Newcastle Elementary School. A week after the 2019 school year began, McCoy got the news no family is quite ready for. 
McCoy said that her desire to serve “comes with a sense of pride to represent where I have come and where I came from. The people in Weston County are one of a kind and have shaped me into the person I am today. There are a lot of service members and veterans in our community that I look up to and thank for all they do and did.”
McCoy said that she is unsure of what to expect on her deployment. 
“I’m excited about this deployment; it is my first. I know it is going to be a learning experience, and I’m going to take back a lot of new information for later in my career,” McCoy said. “I’m not sure what to expect, but I know I am in good hands.” 
And McCoy’s family is beaming with pride.
“We as a family are extremely proud. She is such a strong, driven, hardworking and independent young lady. Since she has started this journey, she has exceeded all of our expectations and also shined in front of her superiors,” Stanton said. “Her siblings are very proud of her and what she’s doing, even though they miss her so much!”