Reservist vies for Minnesota title Published Feb. 26, 2009 By Master Sgt. Kerry Bartlett 934th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Minneapolis-St. Paul -- Acting on a dare from her husband, Master Sgt. Kathleen Gottschalk, 934th Aeromedical Staging Squadron dental clinic NCOIC, now wears the crown of Mrs. Mower County International and will compete for the title of Mrs. Minnesota International in March. The dare, coming from husband Technical Sgt. Randy M. Gottschalk, 27th Aerial Port craftsman, was a response to an announcement in the local newspaper. With a little encouragement and a stellar resume, Sergeant Gottschalk stepped up to the challenge and won the county-level competition. Currently, 15 counties in Minnesota have such a competition. Unlike other competitions that focus on apparent beauty, this competition focuses more on stewardship and leadership of the candidate's platform, for example; cancer awareness or feeding the hungry. For Sergeant Gottschalk, the platform is the military family, and it suits her well. Her father is retired from the Army; and she and her husband both serve in the 934th Airlift Wing. Gottschalk has more than 17 years in the Air Force Reserve. "It's a great platform because I live it every day", she said. As a steward of the military family, her goal is to raise awareness and increase support for troops and families in the community, she said. "My husband has been deployed five times since 9-11 for a total of two years," she said. "I understand what my mother went through." Sergeant Gottschalk recalled a time when her husband was in Kuwait while she was in England and her children were with relatives in the Twin Cities. A tornado narrowly missed her town but destroyed two nearby farms. Long distance communications helped resolve the concern in this situation. The sergeant plans to rally community support for military families who face unique and challenging distance and communication. Sergeant Gottschalk is no stranger to philanthropy. She is a Red Cross volunteer, a Girl Scout leader, serves on the Boy Scout's parent committee and is involved with the local community theater. She is also on the disaster action team for Mower county which provides aid following disasters such as fires or tornados and she participated in a humanitarian mission with the 934 ASTS in July 2008 to Suriname, French Guyana. Two years ago, Sergeant Gottschalk organized Operation School Supply where she amassed more than 500 various school supplies and shipped them to her husband, then stationed in Iraq, who assisted with the distribution to the local schools. "She is a take charge kind of person and gets things done," said Lt. Col. Neil Anderson, chief of dental services. "She was the squadron's NCO of the year for 2006. I wish her all the best" Attracted to the competition by the focus on stewardship and subtleness of pageantry, Sergeant Gottschalk is preparing for the next level. "I don't have a coach," she said. Daughter Sara, 9, is her fashion consultant. Son Dan, 11, doesn't say too much. "I'm just a normal person and happy with myself. It hasn't changed me." Win or not, Gottschalk seems to be on her way to accomplishing her goals. Her friends are now encouraging her to run for mayor.