Carrie Driver plays several roles in the Minot AFB community: military spouse, volunteer, Northern Sentry carrier manager, and, most recently, Financial Advisor for First Command Financial Advisors. Her story reflects both the movement of military life and the steady community connections that keep families rooted.
A Military Family
Carrie, originally from Montana, met her husband Tim when he was stationed there. Tim is approaching 22 years in the U.S. Air Force, and the Drivers have lived in several places along the way, including five years in Germany, where Carrie was able to join him, and four years in Texas. In 2012, their journey brought them to Minot AFB for the first time.
They stayed in Minot until 2015, but made the decision to return in 2024. There is a strong chance they will stay in Minot after Tim retires. “He retires from the Air Force on October 17th, and then literally on the very next day, October 18th, he starts full time with the North Dakota National Guard,” Carrie said. “And we can actually remain on base if we want to, or buy a house and move to town. I guess it’s whatever we decide.”
From Community Volunteer to Carrier Manager
Carrie’s experience with the Northern Sentry expanded through her work with the paper on different community projects. She also met Northern Sentry Publisher Ted Bolton, which helped connect her more closely to the publication and its work on base.
“So when Michelle, the previous carrier manager, retired, several people, including Michelle, suggested that I should become the carrier manager,” Carrie said. “And with Tim retiring here, it just seemed like it would be easy to do.”
The Northern Sentry Carriers
The Drivers’ daughter, Isabelle, started as a Northern Sentry carrier in January 2025. “So she’s been a carrier for about 1 and ½ years,” Carrie said. Isabelle began with one route, but when another route became available, she negotiated with another carrier to “get routes 7 and 8,” Carrie said, “so she could have both routes close to our home.”
With Isabelle’s two routes, she delivers just under 400 papers, which takes her between four and five hours a week if she stays focused. In the wintertime, Carrie assists Isabelle in delivering papers, “but in the summertime, not usually.”
There are seven separate routes on Minot Air Force Base, and right now there is a waiting list for kids who want jobs delivering the Northern Sentry. “We actually had one kid move off of base, but he still comes to the base every week to do the paper. He didn’t want to lose his job.”
As carrier manager, Carrie helps keep route carriers on track and makes sure Northern Sentry policies are followed. “We have a policy that if there are two papers not picked up at a house, our carriers pick them up and let me know,” Carrie said. “We don’t want the papers just left and forgotten, and in general the kids are pretty good at making sure the papers don’t become unwanted garbage.”
When families go on vacation, the carriers are expected to find their own replacements. Still, Carrie said they know they can call if they need help because Isabelle “likes the extra revenue” and will usually step in when she can.
What Comes Next
Alongside her work with the Northern Sentry and the military community, Carrie has also taken on a new professional role as Financial Advisor for First Command Financial Advisors, adding another way she serves and supports military families. “I really wanted to do something for myself. My family didn’t really come from a financial background, so this was all new to me,” Carrie said. In the future, she hopes to continue growing in that career and expand her outreach to people on base.
Community Life Beyond the Routes
When she is not engaged in professional or volunteer work, Carrie likes to return home to Montana and enjoy the outdoors with her family. “My kids love to spend time playing outside,” Carrie said, “and I enjoy being outside with them.” Carrie also homeschools her children and is part of the Minot AFB group that supports homeschooling families.
Through her work as a Key Liaison, her management of base Facebook pages, her event volunteering, and her support for the Northern Sentry, Carrie continues to help information move through the Minot AFB community. In that sense, she truly is one of the drivers behind the delivery of the Northern Sentry in the residential areas on base.
