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Why I still serve after 20 years

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Robert Martin
  • 570th Contingency Response Group first sergeant
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  From "Aim High" to "Cross into the Blue," twenty years in the Air Force has come and gone, but I'm not done making my mark just yet. 

I've seen a lot of changes in 20 years, from the olive drab fatigues, to the "new" Airman Battle Uniform. From the old fighter aircraft like the F-4 Phantom, to the new F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighter. 

Heck, we don't even need pilots to fly some of our aircraft today, just a remote control with a joystick. Air Force technology has come a long way in 20 years. 

The biggest change is the mission. The Air Force doesn't fight from the rear anymore.
We used to take off from airfields far from the action, drop our bombs or supplies on target and head home. We left the fighting on the ground to Soldiers and Marines. I'm not going to lie to you, that's a reason why I didn't join the Army or Marines. God love them, but frankly I wasn't real keen on getting shot at. I'm awfully glad there has always been and always will be heroes on the front lines taking the fight to the enemy from ground level. 

But now, the Air Force has also been thrust into the mix. 

On any given day, a forklift driver in logistics, or a dump truck driver in civil engineering could find themselves headed down a highway in the middle of the desert in Iraq not knowing when or if their convoy will be blown to smithereens from an IED planted behind a guardrail or in a pothole. Everyone in the Air Force has to be prepared for the fight now, not just the pararescue or Security Forces. 

Although the Air Force has changed an awful lot over 20 years, a few things have remained the same. We take care of our people today like we did yesterday. We know how much of a strain it puts on families, especially with today's expeditionary mission. 

It's hard on families when mom or dad has to go away again for six months. The Air Force is always there to ensure the family members left behind are always taken care of until mommy or daddy comes home. There are so many programs offered on base by different agencies, you don't know which one to take advantage of first. Why? Because the Air Force recognizes Airmen can't be on top of their game when the "stuff is hitting the fan" if the family back home isn't being taken care of. 

Something else that has remained the same is the pride I felt when I raised my right hand in 1987 and "swore to defend the constitution of the United States of America against all enemies." The pride of serving my country and doing something with my life that has meaning and a purpose is still very much alive and well today. The pride I feel when I stand at attention and salute the flag while the National Anthem is being played over the base loud speakers. The flag means so much more to me than just a country identifier during the Olympic Games. It stands for the same thing today as it did the day Betsy Ross sewed it together for the first time. It represents every American that gave their life in that fight for the freedoms that so many Americans take for granted every day. 

After 20 years in the Air Force I'm still going strong, and I can say without any hesitation "I love my job." I love what I do as a first sergeant. I think it's the best job in the United States Air Force hands down. I get to wake up every morning and put on my uniform and serve my God, my country and my fellow Airmen. Not everyone gets to be that lucky. 

The Air Force has changed a lot in 20 years and so have I. 

But you know what? I wouldn't change a thing.