“The Unlikely Hero”

I enlisted in 1991 and joined the Air Force so I could see the world and experience new things. I spent over 22 years serving my country. For 11 years, I was an Electronics Technician and worked for Combat Camera and the Armed Forces News Network. In those positions, I was responsible for the setup and repair of computer, video and audio equipment. My last 11 years, I served in the Human Resources field. Eventually, I was Superintendent of Personnel for all recruiters in the Western U.S.

During my time in the Air Force, I was stationed at seven bases and had the honor of deploying five times. Along with these five deployments, I was able to travel to other locations on training and documentation visits. In total, I have travelled to over 40 countries. I spent the majority of my service in Europe and the Middle East, with my last deployment in Pakistan.

My children, parents and sisters really helped me stay connected and cope with the moves. I was blessed at each location to have a great church family…I could also lean on my fellow servicemembers to help deal with the situations we were asked to serve in.

During my time abroad, I was able to call home thanks to the donation of calling cards. I was usually able to call home two to three times weekly and was able to chat via Skype on other occasions.

In the service, we were asked to do what most people would think are extraordinary things, but to us it was just our jobs. If we held true to our training and our values, we were able to accomplish anything!

During some of my last deployments, I was able to develop relationships with people via letters. Several organizations would organize pen pal drives with folks back home. I found a lot of comfort in communicating with someone who took time out of his or her own life to learn about me and my situation.

People can reach out to our servicemen and women by writing, sending care packages and other acts like this—it reminds them of who they’re serving!