QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, Md. — This Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting women veterans who say their service didn’t end when they took off the uniform.
For Nikki Randolph, that mission now includes leading the American Legion in Maryland, a role she says comes with responsibility, visibility, and an obligation to pull others up behind her.
Randolph is the Department Commander of the American Legion for the state of Maryland. And she’s also an Air Force veteran, who joined in 1986, trained in the medical field, and built lifelong connections through the people she served with.
She says that bond—what she calls “family”—is one of the things she remembers most.
But her path into the military wasn’t encouraged at home. Randolph says she was told the Air Force was “no place for a lady”—words she says came from her own mother. She describes the years after high school as a dark period, marked by feeling stuck and unsure of her future.
Then, she says, something changed.
Randolph recalls looking in the mirror and deciding she had to make a major move—fast. She says she hitchhiked to Tulsa, Oklahoma, walked into a recruiter’s office, and told them she wanted to join the Air Force. She describes the decision as life-saving.
“I tell everybody this constantly,” Randolph said. “The Air Force saved my life.”
Now in leadership with the American Legion, Randolph says her goal is to be a voice for veterans in Maryland—pushing for what they need, supporting posts across the state, and continuing work she says helps veterans and their families stay connected to resources.
She also recognizes how much it matters for women veterans to be seen in spaces that have historically been male-dominated. Randolph says she will be the 108th person to hold the Department Commander role in Maryland—and only the fourth woman to do it.
And while she says she’s proud of who she is, Randolph also pushes back on labels.
“I’m a veteran,” she said, explaining she doesn’t personally like the term “women veteran,” because she believes service should stand on its own merit.
Still, Randolph says Women’s History Month is an important time to highlight women who served—because their contributions have often been overlooked.
She points out that women have been part of America’s war efforts since the country’s earliest days, and she believes that history deserves to be recognized alongside everyone else’s.
As she works to mentor the next generation inside veteran spaces, Randolph says leadership sometimes starts small—planting a seed, offering encouragement, and proving what’s possible by example.
Her message to young women considering military service today: don’t let anyone stop you.
“Just do it,” Randolph said. “Do not let anybody stop you.”
