Serving through the season: Airman 1st Class Terry Roberts Jr.

  • Published
  • By Maj. Dani Johnson
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) --  Waiting for the call he hopes doesn't come is what Airman 1st Class Terry Roberts Jr. will be doing this holiday season.

A firefighter with the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron here, the young Airman is spending his first year in the Air Force overseas and away from family.

Of course, the Albuquerque, N.M., native would prefer to be back home with his children who are 5, 3 and 2, but knows what he does is important.

"I will be fulfilling my job title (this holiday)," he said, "being a firefighter and saving lives."

Airman Roberts, a 2003 graduate of Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, knows his family will miss him, especially his mother, Patricia Yzaguirre.

"It's pretty hard to be away from family, the people I love," he said. "I'm not upset or anything like that because I'm doing something with my life to better help my family and myself in the long run.

"Don't get me wrong. If I had the opportunity to be back home and spend this year's holiday season with my family I would," he said.

Like other Airmen in Iraq, Afghanistan, other world hot spots and across the nation during the holiday season, Airman Roberts knows about sacrifice. Airmen are warfighters. They are highly trained, skilled and valued members of the force fighting the war on terror. They are always ready to do their job, no matter what day it is.

Also, Airman Roberts won't be alone; he will turn to his Air Force family for support.

"It's going to be a tough time since this my first time away from home for the holidays," he said. "However, I will be here with my godsons and my fire department family so I'll be fine."

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