Living the Life
by Ronald A
If you would have asked me ten years ago where the Air Force was going to take me I would have told you straight to the end of my enlistment. Yep, I was one of those people that were stuck in a rut. Don’t get me wrong, I like my job, but there is only so much you can stomach on 12 hour shifts for 5 months and then just when you can’t take it any longer...Deployment, yeah! It was especially hard on my wife and kids. Even when I was home I didn't get to see them very much. I was beginning to believe that this was going to be my Air Force life for the rest of my enlistment. It wasn’t until I got an assignment to Kadena AFB in 2001 that I realized how wrong I was about the Air Force. I was assigned to a CME (Combat Mobility Element). I was sure that this assignment would solidify my vision of the military, and lead me to my future as a Wal-Mart greeter. I was pleasantly surprised when I was met at the airport by my entire section. I quickly formed a bond with the men and women that I worked so closely with each and every day. I learned to rely on their experience and they learned that they could rely on me in return. We grew as a family, albeit a dysfunctional one but whose isn't? I learned that the Military is not about the moments that you spend doing your job. It is about the relationships that you make doing the jobs that need to be done. We still keep in touch all these years later. My Air Force Family will forever be a part of my life.