We are passionate, pioneering people connected by a bold purpose. We thrive supported by leadership, meaningful resources, and opportunities for rewarding careers.

As the Deployment & Distribution flight commander of the 145th Airlift Wing of the NC Air National Guard, Captain Ashleigh Neilson oversees the centralized command and control, planning, and execution of all wing and support units, deployment operations and the distribution of cargo, passengers, and personal property. That’s military speak for being in charge of getting planes, people, and equipment where they need to go. A lot of them.

She’s helped mobilize military support in war zones and aid in disaster recovery. But, as a woman who has excelled in the male-dominated military, her ability to move people extends well past the runway.

The flight plan

Ashleigh's worked for various robotics and aerospace companies, managing programs and projects, coordinating advanced processes, and working as a manufacturing supervisor. While she’s picked up different skills at each stop, Neilson credits the 18 years she spent with the Air National Guard for giving her the skills she needed to succeed.

“It helped me to develop a sense of teamwork and the concepts of leadership and followership, as well as the importance of processes and standard work," shared Ashleigh.

The biggest thing she’s learned from her time in the military is how much the morale of a team and a sense of purpose can affect the ability to achieve objectives.

"It’s important to ensure that everyone realizes that they are a valued part of a team and that the work they do is integral to an organization’s success.”

Taking off

For Ashleigh, joining the military was a little like joining the family business; her dad, William, was a captain in the Coast Guard. One grandfather was a Staff Sargent in the Air Force, the other a captain in the US Army, and her brother is a Staff Sargent in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

Ashleigh joined as an airman first class assigned to Supply Management. She spent the first ten years working in the supply field and progressed to Staff Sargent. Then she attended Officer Training School as a commissioned Logistics Readiness officer. Her civilian life took off in that time, too; she achieved her goal of graduating college with a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Technology from Indiana’s Purdue University and earned a Master of Engineering Administration degree from Virginia Tech.

She’s also served at five different bases, including her current base—the 145th Airlift Wing, NCANG, co-located with the Charlotte Douglas International airport. The base provides global airlift, combat and humanitarian support using a C-17 aircraft.

Ashleigh recently invited two Trane Technologies leaders to tour her base with other employers of military personnel.

(From left to right: Ken Schoeneck, Ashleigh Neilson, and Chris Kuehn, standing together at the base)

“The North Carolina Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) supported an event where I could invite two leaders--Ken Schoeneck and Chris Kuehn to come to the base and see what it’s all about,” shared Ashleigh. “It was an awesome day spent learning the various missions of our local base and its amazing military team members.”

Captain, our captain

As a member of the Air National Guard, she spends one weekend per month, and two weeks per year, serving her country. The rest of the time, she’s a procurement program manager for Trane Technologies. When she first joined Trane Technologies, she was glad to learn that the company supports military employees and women.

“It wasn’t until 2016 that the military opened all career paths to women. Now the opportunities available for females have grown by leaps and bounds. But the overall percentage of females in the military hasn’t strayed too far from 20 percent over the last two decades. While women can earn a high-ranking career, they haven’t had many examples to model themselves after,” shared Ashleigh.

“And everyone, women especially, needs someone to look up to, people they can aspire to become. I love working for Trane Technologies because advancing women into leadership roles is part of the company’s larger commitment to gender parity.”

Ashleigh strives to be a positive role model for women, military members, and her team members. For her, it's a mission that doesn’t stop even when she sheds her camo for business casual.

Ready to thrive in your career? At Trane Technologies, we boldly go. Explore our opportunities and open jobs.