THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070084
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Sheila Baxter would make any father proud.
A basketball star at Franklin High School, she won a scholarship to Virginia State University, where she got bachelor's and master's degrees and received a ROTC commission. For the past 17 years, she's served in Army medical units in Korea, Germany and other places around the world, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.
Last year, she was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and recently she joined the ``cream of the crop,'' an elite group of soldiers chosen to head a battalion.
Baxter, 40, is the first woman to command a medical logistics battalion - about 200 soldiers, she said, and it's the culmination of her Army career.
``When I came in the Army, my goal was to be a battalion commander,'' she said. ``I asked the Lord for it, and He gave it to me.
``You have to be careful what you ask for.''
She assumed command of the 226th Medical Battalion in Pirmasens, Germany, on June 22. The battalion provides medical supplies to field units for all armed services branches throughout Europe.
Her father, John H. Baxter Sr., couldn't be prouder of his daughter and her a-chieve-ments.
``Most service people would love to conduct a battalion,'' he said.
But then, he's quick to note he's just as proud of each of his other children - John ``Bubba'' Baxter Jr., who works at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard; Bruce Baxter, an elementary guidance counselor for the Greensville County Schools; Karen B. Futrell, a housewife and college student; and Nadine B. Atkins, a senior training specialist for the U.S. Postal Service.
``She's not any better than the rest of them,'' he said. ``Every one of them is beautiful.''
Futrell and her brothers live in Franklin, and Atkins lives in Miami.
The elder Baxter happily shares his secret for raising such ``beautiful'' children.
``I tell it every day: `Don't love them so good that you can't make them obey,' '' he said. ``You're going to love them anyway, and if you train them right, then other people are going to love them, too.''
His late wife, Mary, was a wonderful mother, said Baxter , who retired from the former Naval Ammunition Depot in Portsmouth. And the family has always been close-knit.
Atkins, his oldest daughter, tries to come home every year, usually in late summer. This year, however, she came in June so the whole family could be together while Sheila was in town.
The two sisters were cooking for a crowd the night before Sheila was scheduled to leave. The meal would be a typical family gathering, they said, as sweet potatoes sizzled in the oven.
``It's always good to come home,'' Sheila Baxter said.
She especially enjoys sharing time with her family and friends.
``She's every guy's dream sister,'' Bruce Baxter said. ``She has so much faith. She's always positive - firm, but seemingly she has the right thing to say. She's a people person.''
An evangelist, she preached several times at churches in Franklin during her 2 1/2 week visit this summer. Her faith is evident to those who meet her.
``She draws upon that,'' Bruce Baxter said. ``It's one of her great assets and strengths. She's a model person for anybody to follow.''
When she gets out of the Army, she plans to return to school and pursue a second career - the ministry.
``I plan to stay in until the Lord says, `Go,' '' she said. ``I have three years left on the ticket. I asked for 20.''
Her Army experience, like everything she does, has been enjoyable, she said.
``When you do something, you ought to have fun,'' she said. ``If you're not having fun, you ought to try something else.''
She's the epitome of the Army's promotional slogan, ``Be all you can be,'' said Major Lee An Swieczkowski, an Army media specialist.
Few people today get to command a battalion, she said. ``It's a big deal in the Army today.''
And like her father, Sheila Baxter happily shares her secret of success: ``All you need is the wisdom of God everyday to do your task. He's been with me every step of the way.'' ILLUSTRATION: Sheila Baxter
by CNB