Page 4 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt, October 2020

4 October 2020
www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb
ALS graduates 46 Airmen in class 20-6
The 56th Fighter Wing Airman 56th oSS
Leadership School graduated 36
staff sergeants and 10 senior airmen
Aug. 20 in class 20-6.
The award winners are:
John L. Levitow Award: Staff
Sgt. Cody Marett, 756th Aircraft
Maintenance Squadron
Distinguished graduates:
Senior Airmen Garrett Hasten,
56th AMXS; Jasmine Smoak, 56th
Operation Support Squadron;
Staff Sgts. Leonardo Campero,
56th Component Maintenance
Squadron, and Luke Gracia, 56th
Security Forces Squadron
Commandant’s award: Senior
Airman Garrett Hasten, 56th
AMXS
Academic achievement
award: Staff Sgt. Raul Castro-
Cavorrubias, 56th Logistics
Readiness Squadron
Other graduates are:
56th Comptroller Squadron
Senior Airman Ariel Ciprian and
Staff Sgt. Christopher Fenton
spotlight
Staff Sgt. Shalala Beaty, Senior
Airman Jonathan Bruno and Staff
Sgt. Cody Schneider
607th air Control Squadron
Staff Sgt. Allan Brown
56th maintenance Group
Staff Sgt. Braden Mathews
56th CmS
Staff Sgt. Antonisha Crisp, Senior
Airman Kellen Dawson, Staff Sgt.
Bradley Nibbe, Senior Airman
James Ober
56th Equipment maintenance
Squadron
Staff Sgts. Brayden Burkhalter,
Jonathan Hall Jr. and Brandon
Stoeber
56th amXS
Staff Sgts. Anna Bachochin, Ian
Baucant, Drace Bertrand, Jaidon
Birath, Robin Cooter, Austin Hill,
Alexander Ramirez, Austin Yelle and
Dorothy Zurlinden
756th amXS
Staff Sgts. Jessica Collins and Dillon
http://www.luke.af.mil Thunderbolt news Facebook.com/LukeThunderbolt 5
Thunderbolt
October 2020
http://www.luke.af.mil
Celebrating HispaniC chopping vegetables and cooking rice while America is being told to ‘go back home’ and
(from Page 4)
HERITaGE
only speak English,” she said. “People don’t
understand how much we gave up coming
a nice conversation was simmering in the
to the states. Sometimes, all we have left
Heritage MontH: kitchen. This was where she learned the is our native language.”
importance of community service and love
Now that she works at IAAFA Izquierdo
for what you do, which is foundational to
speaks her native language as part of her
her life and career in the Air Force.
Staff Sgt. Soleine Izquierdo At the age of 14, Izquierdo and her family job.
Her favorite thing to do is to find a com-
Ellis; Senior Airman Derrick Foster; immigrated to the United States and settled mon word that means something different
Staff Sgts. Christopher Hong, in Long Island, New York. in other Latin American countries. The
Andrew Moyer-Harris, Anouvong by “My parents moved to the USA in search sheer number of ways to say the word “pen”
Souksavath; Senior Airman Donald RACHEL KERSEY of a better future for us,” she said, noting blows her mind, she said.
Tuten; Staff Sgts. Jordan Varney and 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs that her integration into American life was “I still can’t believe the Air Force pays me
Ruben Wise Jr.; Senior Airman Cody scary. “Freshman year of high school is hard for speaking Spanish,” she said. “It really
Wright JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, enough as it is without having a language is a dream come true.”
56th Civil Engineer Squadron Texas — “I was so afraid when I went to Basic Military barrier.” Meeting other Latinx service members
Staff Sgt. Harold Erwin II Training because it was my first time ever being in When Izquierdo was 16, she started her and people with similar stories and back-
an environment where everyone spoke only English,” first job doing maintenance work at a state grounds is also one of Izquierdo’s favorite
56th SfS said Staff Sgt. Soleine Izquierdo, international student park. She said her parents did not realize things. Not only does it give her a sense of
manager at the Inter-American Air Forces Academy on
Staff Sgt. Tristen Hernandez people in America put away money for their community, but it also motivates her.
56th LRS Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. children’s college, so that was not an option “I will never forget the first time I met
Staff Sgt. Zaranae Jackson “Fast forward to 2020, and seeing how comfortable for her after high school. another Hispanic-female service-member
I am with the language, how my communication skills Since she had nothing planned for her from New York,” Izquierdo said. “She was
56th Healthcare operations have improved, and how I’m serving at a special duty; future, the Air Force seemed to be a good smart, caring, hard-working, a great men-
it’s amazing,” she said.
Squadron Born in San German, a small town in Lima, Peru, opportunity, she said. tor, and respected by all, but more than
Staff Sgt. Erica Purdy Izquierdo has fond memories of being surrounded by “I knew joining the military would make anything, she was familiar. She instantly
944th maintenance Group family in her neighborhood. my parents proud, especially my father became someone I looked up to. She was
who served over 30 years in the Peruvian
Senior Airman Brittney Korte “I grew up surrounded by love, a place where my National Police,” she said. “And, I knew it Sarayuth Pinthong (and is) the person I strive to become one
day: a successful Latina.
944th maintenance Squadron parent’s friends were, and until this day, my aunts and would give them, as well as me, a sense of U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Soleine Izquierdo, Inter-American Air Forces Academy inter- “I’m so proud to be a Peruvian serving
uncles still live there,” she said. “Peru is known for its security. It was also a way to thank this national student manager, was born in San German, a small town in Lima, Peru. in the Air Force, speaking Spanish, and
Senior Airman DeMarcus Greene food; it’s an integral part of our culture. I remember my country for the many doors it had opened not being expected to forget my roots,” she
Phoenix Joint Reserve Intel mother having a soup-kitchen style gig where she and
Support Element my aunts would cook for more than 100 low-income for us since we migrated.” “I knew English, but I didn’t know mili- for seven years and eight months. She said. “I look back to my first year in the Air
Force and I’m amazed at how far I’ve come.
Izquierdo enlisted but struggled in Basic
Senior Airman Sarah Hammontree families daily.” Training with the language barrier. After tary English,” she said. “I had to learn all has overcome much, and she knows many I hope to one day be THAT sergeant that
over again and study twice as much just to
people do not understand the significance
Courtesy of Master Sgt. Bradford Doyon, Izquierdo would sit and watch her family having fun she went to her first duty station, she still make sense of things.” of that, which is difficult. another Latina can look up to thinking, ‘I
56th FSS See HERITaGE, Page 5 had trouble keeping up, she said. Now, Izquierdo has been in the military “The hardest part of being Hispanic in can do it, too.’”
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