Who was Shelly Fink? Tributes pour in as Fargo National Guard Airman recruiter passes away at 33

A North Dakota National Guard Airman, Shelly Fink, reportedly passed away on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, at the age of 33. While the circumstances surrounding the death are unclear, WDAY Radio has reported that Fink died at her home in Barnesville, Minnesota.

Fink’s death was confirmed by North Dakota’s Adjutant General Alan Dohrmann, who in a touching statement, paid tribute to the late National Guard Airman. He said:

“The North Dakota National Guard extends our deepest condolences on the passing of Lt. Shelly Fink. Lt. Fink served her country and the State of North Dakota with a determination that could not be matched. She will be greatly missed.”

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All we know about National Guard Airman recruiter Shelly Fink

Shelly Fink was a native of Rutland, North Dakota, who, after earning a bachelor‘s degree in University Studies from North Dakota State University in 2014, served full-time for the North Dakota Air National Guard as a recruiter from 2014 to 2022 for the 119th Force Support Squadron.

WDAY Radio reported Fink has also been a member of the North Dakota Air National Guards, 119th Wing, known as the “Happy Hooligans' since 2009.

In the wake of her passing, Col. Mitch Johnson, 119th Wing commander mourned her loss. He wrote:

“The entire Hooligan family is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own. We are heartbroken beyond words. Lt. Fink had such a huge personality and her infectious energy touched so many lives throughout the wing.”

Per her LinkedIn, Fink also served as the Director of Growth for Hatch Realty in Fargo and volunteered at a Hospice and Animal Shelter. In 2021, Fink was honored at the 9th Annual Leading Ladies Luncheon hosted by the North Dakota Women’s Business Center, an organization focused on helping women advance their careers, businesses, and leadership skills.

At the time, Christy Dauer, the NWBC program director who described Fink as an inspirational woman, said:

“Shelly is a fantastic human, with all that she has accomplished in the military and in her life. This event was really about honoring her and the other honorees on the stage, and about being real. We wanted an authentic conversation with these inspirational women here today.”

Meanwhile, Fink also spoke at the Luncheon and praised the indomitable spirit of the women she recruited for the National Guard.

“The young women I recruit are going into historically male-dominated careers and absolutely killing it! They load bombs, they fight fires, they protect the base and they are pushing us forward in more ways than one. I am so proud of them, and the path that they are paving for our next generation of Airmen.”

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Community mourns the death of Shelly Fink

Dacotah Wiertzema, one of Shelly Fink’s recruits, took to social media and paid tribute to the late National Guard Airman recruiter. Part of the post on Facebook read:

“Shelly Fink, your light, positivity, and passion will be remembered by every person you come into contact with. I was one of the many lucky airmen that you recruited. Your dedication and professionalism throughout that process gave me the motivation to pursue the Air Guard as a community that I wanted to excel at and be part of.”

Multiple people flooded Facebook with posts honoring the late National guard and expressed their admiration.

At the time of her death, Fink was reportedly a commissioned officer and was serving as the 119th Wing Public Affairs Officer since 2023.