SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Heart rates spiked as the instructor swung open the door to a view of Earth from 3,000 feet in the sky. The sound of the wind whistled through the congested aircraft, causing verbal instructions to be lost in translation amongst the jumpers. The adrenaline peaked with each individual finding the courage to take one last deep breath before ditching the aircraft at speeds of over 100 mph. Every jumper had a split second to decide if they wanted to jump. For some, this decision was inconsequential. For others, such as U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jessica Henry, there was no other option but to take the leap.

Henry, a 726th Air Mobility Squadron crew chief, has been physically and mentally preparing for this opportunity for years. Since 2017, she knew she wanted to be a special warfare Airman, however, fear and intimidation made her ambitions seem too out of reach.

“I let false interpretations of what the career field was cloud my judgment and that stirred up fear in my mind,” said Henry. “Joining the Air Force is a huge step for many young adults, and then to go into a special warfare career is even more intense, so I let fear get the best of me, and I ended up coming in as maintenance instead.”

Henry was assigned to Alaska and said she appreciated the career field and sense of community within maintenance but ultimately felt she was missing something. She eventually found motivation within her friend group to pursue a special warfare career.

In 2021, Henry arrived here in Germany and found a program that would provide her with the training and experience needed for retraining. The Forging Warrior Heart program offers Spangdahlem Airmen opportunities to enhance their physical and mental resilience through participation in ruck marches, firearm proficiency courses, and military static line jump classes.

Senior Master Sgt. Corey Tash, interim 726th AMS senior enlisted leader and Forging Warrior Heart Program leader, said the program provides Airmen unique and challenging experiences.

“We focus on [events] that are going to be very difficult for you to finish, whatever challenge it is,” said Tash. “Most of the time it’s a 20 or 40 kilometer ruck and sometimes it’s back-to-back days. These types of activities are not easy to do, but what they do is increase a person’s resiliency, determination, grit, and everything else that we need in our leaders.”

Tash described how he feels Henry has been able to use her experience in the program to pursue her goals.

“She’s taken this program and used it to her advantage to train for the scenarios in which she will have to do in the future if she gets picked up for a special warfare career,” Tash said. “She’s got the drive and determination to make her dreams come true, and the program is an amazing tool to help her reach her goals.”

Henry recently completed four ruck marches, earned the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, and enrolled in the Dutch Wings Static Line Military Course which she said will be her greatest challenge to date. Her ability to overcome barriers and participate in these events remind Henry of the personal obstacles she has faced all her life.

“Growing up, I was always small, always tiny, just this scrawny kid, and I was in sports my whole life. I remember constantly getting comments made from other coaches and other teammates that I was up against or opponents like this is going to be easy or she’s too small,” said Henry. “That really fueled the fire in me to work hard and push myself to my limit as far as I’m capable of.”

Henry said she believes these events are a culmination of preparation for overcoming the mental barrier that has been on her mind since she enlisted.

“I think there’s a lot of qualities in not only the physical aspect but the strength that you need mentally to get through because there were some long days of gutting it out and getting through it,” she said.” It was intense, but I needed that preparation.”

Her journey towards securing a career in special warfare caused her to look at failure in a different perspective and to never again let fear determine her future.

”Failure isn’t a word that we should be afraid of, it should be something that we learn from and can build on,” Henry said. “Failure isn’t falling down, it’s staying down. There’s always another chance to try again, do it again.”

For more information on Forging Warrior Hearts upcoming events and information, check out their Facebook page here.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/366673416010568