Columbia romance writer sets record in basic training

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- For nearly a decade, Angela Hills of Columbia has been known to her fans as Angie Daniels, a Harlequin romance novelist who writes about strong, sexy women and the men who love them.

This time, Hills is her own heroine.

In March, the 40-year-old fulfilled a longtime dream when she graduated from Air Force Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, becoming the oldest person ever to complete the program.

"I'd been thinking about it for years," she said of enlisting. "But I married and had a baby right after high school. My ex-husband was military and deployed, and there was no way we could both be gone."

Hills continued to entertain the idea of enlisting, but when she passed the age of 27, the Air Force's normal cutoff, she put the thought behind her -- at least for a while.

In 2006, with her three children older and out of the house, Hills decided to give it a shot.

"It was time to do something for me," she said. "I thought: 'Now is my time. My kids are gone. This is my opportunity.'" After a two-hour meeting with recruiter Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Kuhl, the Air Force granted Hills a waiver.

"When I first met her, I felt that she had the determination and commitment it would take to be a successful airman," Kuhl said in a prepared statement. "I sought to do whatever possible to assist her in fulfilling a lifelong dream."

After spending six months getting in shape for the military, Hills left for Texas in February. She was able to keep her age a secret for three weeks until a commander asked her how old she was. Hills' age quickly became a hot topic for the other 54 women in her squadron.

"They were shocked," she said. "There had never been anyone in the squadron that old."

Fellow enlistees nicknamed her "Mama" and began to crack jokes about being "over the Hills." The ribbing only made her more determined.

"They made an exception to get me in, so I had to succeed," Hills said. "There was no way in the world I was going back home and not doing it. I was determined to get through those six weeks."

After training, Hills graduated with honors from technical training at Keesler Air Force Base. She's now assigned to the 131st Fighter Wing in St. Louis and works full time in the human resources office at Join Force Headquarters in Jefferson City.

"I'm really proud," Hills said. "I was bawling at graduation just thinking, 'I did it. I did it.' It was the hardest and most challenging thing I've ever done."

Although she has not received orders for deployment, Hills said the idea of serving in combat doesn't bother her.

Until then, Airman 1st Class Hills is still doubling as Angie Daniels. She's working on a 16th novel due at publishers in August, and fans also can expect to read more about her personal life.

"There will definitely be a book about my experience in the upcoming future," Hills wrote on her official Daniels Web site. "You better believe it."