Little did I know, my past self was helping my future self with this project. I am the photographer for my squadron in the Air National Guard and have access to all the pictures I’ve taken on trips! This saves me some time when gathering up my information and laying out my non-linear story. My research has been flowing nicely and I have my interviews set up for the next week so I’m excited about that. A large majority of people from my base, specifically my squadron, are deployed right now. I will be FaceTiming two people who helped with Covid relief and are deployed overseas. Preparing for the deployment is another stressful thing that happened to some guardsmen during 2020.
I think I can bring in a different perspective since I am one of the people who was called for active duty last year at the beginning of the pandemic. It seemed like anything that happened last year, the Guard was there helping or protecting. I know I had a great experience, personally. I really loved being a part of the solution and doing my part as a citizen. I worked at a warehouse that supplied medical PPE and testing kits. It wasn’t easy and there were long days with non-stop work in order to keep Ohio safe but it was worth it. I even got selected to be the Air Force representative for the mission that brought all the branches together. It was an unforgettable experience.
Everyone’s stories have a personal aspect to them and I’m thankful I can relate to mine. I can’t wait to see other people’s perspectives on how getting called for duty went for them.