TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) – One woman is making history out at Hulman Field Air National Guard Base.

Col. Tami Saylor is the first female wing commander for the 181st Intelligence Wing.

“Sometimes it still feels a little bit like a dream that I’ve made it here, that I’m doing this role,” Saylor said.

Saylor enlisted in 1983—fresh out of high school. Little did she know how her career would unfold over the years. She has held multiple positions with the Air National Guard on a state and national level. Recently, she worked as the Chief of Staff at the Air National Guard Readiness Center in Washington, DC.

"I never once dreamed that 36 years later I would be the wing commander in the wing. I started out as the administrative assistant to the wing commander, and now I am the wing commander, and I never in my lifetime would have imagined that's where I would have ended up being."

She moved back to Terre Haute to take over as commander. She told News 10 she’s excited to be back in the Wabash Valley.

Her journey is an inspiration for many, especially women.

"It kind of is a big deal to them. It's an opportunity to see a female make it further in the organization."

At the end of the day, the mission remains the same.

"One team one fight. We're in it together, and we're all valuable parts of that team, and we can't do it without each and every one of us."