JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- I didn’t join the U.S. Air Force out of patriotism or to continue a family legacy. I joined for one reason: stability. I wanted independence, a secure future and an education without student loan debt; more than my job as a childcare worker could offer. The military promised housing, steady pay and opportunities I couldn’t reach on my own.
I enlisted on July 16, 2024, as a public affairs specialist, and for a long time I saw my service as selfish. That changed when I arrived here at my first and current duty station, JBLE.
I met Airmen who joined for the same reasons I did, but also many whose motivations were different; those who felt called to serve or who stepped forward to honor a family legacy. I admired them and believed their reasons carried more weight than mine.
That feeling resurfaced in September 2025, when I was tasked to document the 24-hour POW/MIA vigil run on base. According to the Department of War, about 81,000 service members remain unaccounted for since World War II. Each year Team JBLE honors them by keeping the POW/MIA flag waving in motion for a full day. I worried I wouldn’t capture the event with the respect it deserved.
On Sept. 18, 2025, I arrived under heavy gray clouds as the opening ceremony began. I steadied my breathing and raised my camera, focused on the speaker as she/he talked about sacrifice and the weight of the unknown carried by families whose loved ones never returned.
When the flag was passed and the run began, two Airmen read aloud names, page after page of those listed as prisoners of war or missing in action. With every name and every shutter click, the pit in my stomach grew. I wondered why I deserved to wear the same uniform. I felt like an imposter. More than 81,000 service members stood willing to sacrifice or sacrificed everything so I could stand here today in a U. S. Air Force uniform. Their sacrifice was not lost on me.
Back in my office, as I reviewed my images, it finally became clear: the reason for reciting the Oath of Enlistment doesn’t define our service. What matters is how we choose to serve after we recite it, and I choose to serve with dignity and respect.
When I took that oath, I became responsible for representing myself, my service and every Airman who came before me. I honor them by showing up, working hard and wearing the uniform with pride. I honor them by leading with integrity.
In the end, serving with dignity and respect is enough. It is how I will ensure their sacrifice is never forgotten.