Airman 1st Class Collin Schmidt
341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
The bond between brothers is a very special thing. As the oldest of three, this bond holds a very special place in my heart.
In the military, it is also common to hear people refer to the men and women who perform this duty of service, brothers and sisters in arms.
From left to right, Logan, Kendrick and Collin Schmidt pose for a photograph after a graduation ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, June 26. Logan was the most recent graduate of Air Force basic training and the final Schmidt brother to join the Air Force. (Courtesy photo)
To live, work and die next to someone who maybe a couple weeks ago was a complete stranger, but has become a brother or sister because of the oath they took and the sacrifices they make, holds a distinctive place in the hearts of all our armed forces members. Continue reading Brothers in arms: A story of three Airmen→
By Tech. Sgt. Anthony Nelson Jr.
Air Force Social Media Team
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, between 11 and 20 percent of 100 veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in a given year. Also, Traumatic Brain Injury is much more common in the general population than previously thought, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW2) program works hand-in-hand with the Air Force Survivor Assistance Program and Airman and Family Readiness Centers to ensure Airmen receive professional support and care from the point of injury, through separation or retirement and for life.
U.S. Air Force Veteran Senior Airman Haley Gilbraith, competes in the wheelchair 100-yard dash during the 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., June 23, 2015. The DoD Warrior Games consists of athletes from throughout the Department Of Defense, who compete in Paralympic style events for their respective military branch. The goal of the games is to help highlight the limitless potential of warriors through competitive sports. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Carlin Leslie/Released)
This year, the AFW2 team is at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, for the 2015 DoD Warrior Games from June 19-28. If you can picture the Olympics but with a military twist then you would be able to get a glimpse of what the Warrior Games are all about. It’s all about competition, camaraderie and commitment.
“I thought that nobody understood me, and I felt alone,” said U.S. Air Force veteran Master Sgt. Lisa Hodgdon, an Air Force wounded warrior athlete. “My wounded warrior care manager told me about the DoD Warrior Games. The Warrior Games are more than just sports; they’re about family.”
The adaptive sports and athletic reconditioning activities play a fundamental role in recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration of service members back to their units, or as they transition into the civilian environment.
“I’m just happy to be a part of the team and to serve in any capacity to assist our warriors in their recovery,” said Nicole Hart, AFW2 career readiness program manager.
Sports have the ability to bring people together from all walks of life. Sometimes just being accepted into a group or team is the genesis to a ground breaking social improvement in the life of that person.
A young Team Air Force supporter roots on her team during the Field events at the 2015 Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., June 23, 2015. The Warrior Games, founded in 2010, is a Paralympic-style competition that features eight adaptive sports for wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy/Coast Guard, Air Force, Special Operations Command, and the British Armed Forces. This year marks the first time the DoD takes responsibility for operational planning and coordination of the event, in which approximately 250 athletes are expected to compete. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Kathy Reesey/Released
“Without the Warrior Games and the AFW2 staff I don’t know if he would be here,” said Tami Caswell, wife of Tech. Sgt. Jason Caswell, Air Force wounded warrior athlete. “Because of the Warrior Games we have gained a family. It is truly a lifesaving program for the warrior and the caregiver.”
During my interactions with the AFW2 staff and faculty throughout the Warrior Games, I was amazed at the “service before self attitude” demonstrated. It is said that the Air Force is an Airmen’s family away from family, and that is truly the mindset of the staff, coaches, caregivers and athletes of the AFW2 program.
“The AFW2 program and the Warrior Games give wounded warriors like me what we need in order to overcome any barriers in our life,” said U.S. Air Force veteran Master Sgt. Lisa Hodgdon, an Air Force wounded warrior athlete.
Now it’s your turn. How has your experience been with the AFW2 program?
By Tech. Sgt. Steve Grever
Air Force Public Affairs Agency
One of the biggest challenges facing the Air Force today is maintaining operational readiness and warfighting capabilities to meet the requirements of combatant commanders. The statement above includes many “strategic” words we hear from leadership at commander’s calls and other events, but they should impact every Airman wearing the uniform. All of us are work to accomplish the mission daily, which ensures the Air Force is ready to fight and win the nation’s wars.
Air Force senior leaders have the daunting task of getting us the right equipment and resources to meet and exceed the nation’s expectations. But, as Airmen, we are responsible for getting our personal readiness aligned with our leader’s strategies and vision for the future.
For me, personal readiness encompasses performing my job to the best of my ability and making sure my family and other aspects of my personal life are in order so I’m always ready to deploy or go on temporary duty assignments. This can be a difficult if you try to tackle it all at once, but I’ve found that breaking it down into groups of smaller tasks has helped me more easily manage work and family issues. When you have a plan to sync up your Air Force and personal responsibilities, it will help you reach your goal of attaining personal readiness that’s good for you, your family, the Air Force and the nation.
By Bo Joyner
Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs
What’s your story? Brig. Gen. Richard Scobee likes to ask this question to every Airman he meets, and he encourages others to do the same.
“The next time you see an Airman, ask what his or her story is,” Scobee said. “I guarantee you will come away inspired and impressed.”
Brig. Gen. Richard Scobee and his son, Andrew, kneel near the grave of Dick Scobee during the NASA Day of Remembrance Jan. 31, 2014. Dick Scobee was the commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger, which exploded shortly after launch in 1986. His grave is near the memorials to the Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia in Arlington National Cemetery’s Section 46. (Courtesy photo)
Scobee, commander of 10th Air Force at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, has an inspiring story of his own to tell. He’s the son of astronaut Dick Scobee who commanded the Space Shuttle Challenger that was destroyed after takeoff in 1986.
By Senior Airman Michelle Patten
Air Force Public Affairs Agency
There are so many thoughts running through your mind when you first find out you’re going to be a parent. How do I share the news? Will it be a boy or a girl? What will the baby’s name be?
Then there are the thoughts of a military parent. When will I have to deploy and leave my baby behind? Who will take care of the baby when my husband and I both get called in to respond to a disaster in the middle of the night? When will the grandparents meet baby when we’re geographically? Continue reading Expecting in the military→
