Page 2 - Desert Lightning News April 7, 2017

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April 7, 2017 www.aerotechnews.com/davis-monthanafb Facebook.com/DesertLightningNews
A modern military marriage
Desert Lightning News
Courtesy photo
Senior Airman Samantha Salopek poses for a photo with her husband, Matthew Swartsfager. Salopek married Swartsfager in November 2010 at the age of 19 and re- cently shared some challenges of a military marriage.
together because of our specific common- alities, but because we enjoyed experiencing each other. It was a simple revelation made in a critical time.
Like joining the military, marriage is a life-altering commitment. It requires un- derstanding that the relationship will con- tinuously change and is in constant need of examination to succeed. Take solace in the Airmen who have pushed through these waves before you and those who are con- tinuing with you.
by Senior Airman Samantha Salopek
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, California — Six years and four months ago I married my husband. I was 19 years old and completely ignorant to the commitment I’d just made.
Dual military marriages make up a little more than 11 percent of the Air Force popu- lation, and like many dual couples, we were stationed apart. Less than a year after re- questing join spouse orders, he was assigned 16 miles from me.
“The Brady Bunch” did not prepare me for the big move. Melding lives together did not consist of soft voices and whimsical back- ground music. The voices were loud and sometimes unfamiliar to our own, and reso- lutions did not come quickly.
Our first argument was over the unsanc- tioned addition of tuna to macaroni and cheese. I am a food purist at heart and the defilement of my beloved macaroni was, at the time, a personal violation to me.
A few words and glares were exchanged. Then, the kettle of macaroni made its way out the front door and across the lawn. As it flew through the air, it spewed its contents like tears of cheesy sadness. This was not my proudest moment.
No one really talks about their arguments, or maybe they do and I just never listened. Nobody mentioned staying away from food that you are passionate about unless you are willing to accept change.
I am naturally opposed to change, and a food enthusiast, so this advice would have been welcomed. The initial transition period, though painful at times, was merely a flash that we now look back on with joyful reminiscence.
By year three, we were weathering the turbulent storm of my husband’s active- duty separation. It was an easy process that we thought would make life simpler, but it only gave way to greater stress. We had to rediscover who we were as a couple when the biggest thing we had in common, being active-duty service members, was no longer a similarity.
Aside from a poor decision to buy and live on a large sailboat years later, his separa- tion from active duty was the biggest hurdle we faced in our marriage. In times of great change, a partnership is redefined. Your best friend can quickly become a silent stranger if you give up trying to connect.
To our benefit, we are both stubborn and determined individuals. We made an effort to learn and participate in each other’s lives outside the home, and it revitalized our now flourishing relationship.
In 2013, my husband was attending a lo- cal liberal arts college. He began reading to me every night. Often it was a philosophy se- lection assigned for class. During dinner we would read news articles we found interest- ing or discuss evolving topics. This allowed us to highlight and participate in our indi- vidual interests together.
In the end, it was clear that we were not
MLK’s dream to end racism Airman’s reality
by Senior Airman Ceaira Young
23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. —i Dr. Martin Lu- ther King Jr. shared his dream with the world Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. during the March on Wash- ington for Jobs and Freedom. He called for an end to racism.
Fast forward to now. When I wake up in the morning, I am his dream. I am black and every day I serve as an equal with my brothers and sisters in arms.
Sixty years ago, as an African
American, I wouldn’t have been able to freely pursue this career that I love. This fact wouldn’t be true due to a lack of qualifica- tions, but simply because of the color of my skin. Fortunately, times have changed and the Air Force I love has changed.
According to the Defense De- partment, today approximately 15 percent of the more than 300,000 people who serve on ac- tive duty Air Force are African American, but this privilege did not come without sacrifices.
While facing the hardships of segregation in America such as being made to sit in the
back of the bus and use sepa- rate water fountains, African Americans attended different schools, churches, businesses and more. In spite of that, Af- rican Americans such as the Tuskegee Airmen wanted to do their part. They joined the fight for rights they themselves didn’t have in America.
During this time, it was still widely accepted that African Americans were inferior, but still they joined the fight to de- feat Adolf Hitler and his ideol- ogy. Even though they couldn’t battle beside their Caucasian counterparts, they felt a sense
of patriotism and refused to let the history books be written without them.
The Tuskegee Airmen con- ducted approximately 15,000 combat sorties and earned more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses. As World War II came to an end, their success made it impossible to ignore the need for a more diverse service.
In 1948, President Harry Truman signed an executive or- der integrating the military but that order did little to change the culture. In fact, Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James, who was the
See DREAM, Page 5
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