Sister nULLs, decades apart, reunited at SETAF-AF

Katherine Brennan, deputy of the Operational Protection Directorate (G3); joins U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tyrra Wan, an operations officer and budget manager; and Maj. Janaire Jackson, the Reserve Component Division senior National Guard adviser, all assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) during Wan’s promotion ceremony at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy, Oct. 15, 2026. Wan, Brennan and Jackson were reunited at SETAF-AF years after attending Mary Baldwin College, now Mary Baldwin University, where they participated in the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership. “Sister nULLs” is the traditional title for first-year cadets of the program. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
(Photo Credit: Maj. Joe Legros)
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Back to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

VICENZA, Italy — More than a decade after sharing a college dorm room as 17-year-old cadets, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tyrra Wan and Katherine Brennan, a Department of the Army civilian employee, found themselves face-to-face again in an unexpected place: the hallway of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) headquarters at Caserma Del Din, where both now support the SETAF-AF mission.

Neither knew the other was stationed in Vicenza, Italy. Their chance reunion earlier this month rekindled a friendship forged at Mary Baldwin College, now Mary Baldwin University, where they entered the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership, which is an integrated program hosted on Mary Baldwin’s campus. There they became “Sister nULLs,” the traditional title for first-year cadets.

For Wan, now the operations officer and budget manager for SETAF-AF, the encounter was a reminder that the bonds formed early in life can endure across decades of military service.

“As a young cadet I was definitely a trailblazer, innovator, and a bit hard headed. I made my own path,” Wan said.

Wan did not grow up in a military family, so the transition into a structured cadet environment required her to adapt quickly. Through VWIL, which partners with the Virginia Military Institute’s Army and Air Force ROTC programs, she learned to navigate physical and mental challenges while discovering her leadership style.

“Katherine and I were roommates when we were 17 years old,” Wan said. “I am an only child, no sisters and no brothers, nothing to compare this new experience to, so I didn’t know much about sisterhood at the time.”

Sister nULLs, decades apart, reunited at SETAF-AF — 1 / 2

U.S. Army Col. Kerrie Second, G9 director, promotes Lt. Col. Tyrra Wan, an operations officer and budget manager, both assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), during Wan’s promotion ceremony at Caserma Del Din, Vicenza, Italy, Oct. 15, 2026. Wan was reunited with two alumni of Mary Baldwin College, now Mary Baldwin University, where they all participated in the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership. “Sister nULLs” is the traditional title for first-year cadets of the program. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Christal Lotarev)
(Photo Credit: Spc. Christal Lotarev)
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The experience introduced her to a sense of shared responsibility that would carry into her military career. Cadets were expected to function as a unit, learning that individual actions could affect the entire group.

“The most difficult part was what fundamentally made my experience worthwhile, just having forced family via the military helped me grow,” Wan said. “Everyone in the unit receives punishment as a unit.”

Those lessons helped shape her understanding of military service and the importance of relying on others.

VWIL, the nation’s only all-female cadet corps, develops emerging leaders through a combination of academics, physical challenges and military training. Its partnership with VMI allows cadets to participate in ROTC and pursue military commissions while building the skills needed to lead in demanding environments.

For Brennan, who now serves as deputy of the Operational Protection Directorate (G3), SETAF-AF, the program offered young women an opportunity to discover their individual leadership styles, learn from failure and grow through unfamiliar challenges. Their shared experiences established a foundation that remained meaningful even after their careers took different paths.

After graduation, Wan and Brennan went their separate ways. Occasional glimpses of each other on social media could not replace the experience of reconnecting in person.

“When we first got out of college we would try to stay connected but then we just lost touch,” Wan said. “I would see her on Facebook every now and then but it’s nothing like the real thing where we’re actually together and the instant I see her I recall the happiness we experienced throughout the chaos.”

Their reunion brought back memories of their college years and highlighted the lasting influence of the relationship formed during their development as young leaders.

The connection extends beyond Wan and Brennan. Just weeks before reconnecting with Brennan, Wan encountered U.S. Army Maj. Janaire Jackson, a fellow VWIL alumna who serves as the Reserve Component Division senior National Guard adviser at SETAF-AF.

Although Jackson attended Mary Baldwin during a different period, their shared background created an immediate connection. Her experience reflects the program’s enduring influence across generations of women serving in military leadership, including active-duty, civilian, National Guard and Reserve components.

The presence of three VWIL-connected leaders supporting the same overseas mission underscores how a common foundation can connect people across different career paths and stages of service.

That connection took on added significance Oct. 14, 2026, when Wan was promoted to lieutenant colonel during a ceremony at the Sigholtz Center on Caserma Del Din. Brennan pinned the new rank on her old friend, marking a moment that began within the archaic white walls of Mary Baldwin University and continues at the headquarters of SETAF-AF.

The milestone represents more than a professional achievement for Wan. It brought her military journey full circle, connecting the young cadet who was learning to lead with the officer she had become, and the friend with whom she shared those formative years.

The reunion has also reinforced her belief that military personnel must make time for relationships despite the demands of service.

“When sitting in a meeting that’s two hours long, I look over and there’s Katherine, my sister. I’ll blink as if that’s new information to me and think, ‘Oh man, this is cool.’ This is what makes me smile during the trying times,” Wan said.

Her advice to fellow service members is simple: Do not let the demands of a military career overshadow the human connections that make the journey meaningful.

“Reconnecting has changed my perspective on the importance of maintaining friendships throughout my military career,” Wan said. “Military personnel should keep their friendships close. Don’t lose touch. Don’t get too busy that you forget that you’re human and that others are human.”

From two teenage roommates to colleagues supporting the same overseas mission, Wan and Brennan demonstrate how the lessons of leadership and sisterhood can last long after graduation. Their reunion in Vicenza is a testament to the enduring influence of VWIL and the friendships that continue to shape leaders throughout their service.

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About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

Source: www.army.mil