U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY — An Airman assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron ground transportation flight was recently selected for Officer Training School, Dec. 17, 2024.

Reflecting on the past year, he described it as a whirlwind of emotions and milestones, each moment building on the last toward a life he once only dreamed of.

Among the most life-altering experiences was a defining day in June 2023, when he stood in a small office in Sacramento, holding his newly issued certificate of U.S. citizenship.

“That was the day everything changed,” he said, his voice laced with pride and relief.

The journey to that moment was deeply personal, a story intertwined with sacrifice and hope.

In 2007, his parents moved him and his brother from El Salvador to California, with the hopes of giving their family a better future.

“Not that we were in the worst of the worst, but at the end of the day, it’s considered a third-world country,” he explained. “Nothing we ever did over there would get close to the life we’ve been able to build here.”

However, adjusting to life in the United States as an 11-year-old did not come without its difficulties. He struggled with a new language and culture, often feeling isolated in school.

Despite those challenges, he excelled, earning a full academic scholarship to UC Berkeley, where he graduated with a degree in social welfare. From there, he dedicated himself to helping others, working in education and community outreach.

Joining the military was another leap into the unknown. Without his U.S. citizenship, his options were limited. In February 2023, he enlisted as a ground transportation operator with a long-term goal of becoming a pilot.

The road to citizenship was fraught with delays. His application was misplaced, leaving him in limbo for over a year.

When his citizenship was finally approved in June, he wasted no time. He began the rigorous process of applying for OTS to fulfill his dream of becoming a pilot.

The Airman’s father played a pivotal role in shaping his dreams and work ethic. His father, a private pilot with over 750 hours of flight time, introduced him to the world of aviation.

“Growing up, my mom was a flight attendant, and my dad had his pilot’s license. I was always around aviation” he said.

But his father’s influence extended far beyond planes. His father’s dream of giving his family a better life brought the Airman to realize his own dream.

“He brought us here, right? None of this would have happened without him,” the Airman said, his voice heavy with emotion.

Tragically, the Airman’s father passed away in April 2023, just weeks after he completed Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.

“It’s been a wild year,” the Airman admitted, pausing to gather his thoughts. “He passed away before I became a citizen, before I took my first flight, before I found out I got a slot.”

While his father isn’t here to see those accomplishments, the Airman carries his memory with him.

“This has always been a dream, and I obviously won’t get to share it with him,” he said. “But I know he’d be proud.”

As he steps into a new chapter of his life, with a pilot slot in hand, the Airman reflects on the journey that brought him here.

“Every time I see a plane, I think of my dad,” he said. “He’s the reason I’m chasing this dream.”

From a young boy struggling to find his voice in a new country, to an Airman honoring his father’s legacy in the skies, this Airman’s story is a testament to perseverance, the power of family, and the pursuit of a dream that transcends loss.