Serving through the season: Staff Sgt. Fredric Rosario

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Amy Velasquez
  • Air Force Print News
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy (AFPN) --  Airmen here toil through all kinds of weather, situations, and exercises. Sometimes the simplest job becomes difficult when you know what you are missing out on: holidays with your family and friends.

Having to work on a holiday is nothing new to Staff Sgt. Fredric Rosario of the 724th Air Mobility Squadron, but some holidays hit home harder than others. He'll usher in the New Year doing his job as a mission monitor watching the Aviano skies, responding to weather warnings, and will even make time to take care of his squadron in case anyone needs a ride home after drinking.

All this, while his family waits for him to come home. The six-year Air Force veteran knows and accepts that the military comes first, but he says he'd rather be someplace else.

"I wouldn't mind being home with my family -- spending it with my mom and dad and sisters," Sergeant Rosario said.

He may be away from his parents because he lives overseas, but he gets to go home to his own family -- 5-year-old Madelyn and 6-year-old Victoria. He said his daughters and his wife, Norma, give him the positive attitude to "keep going" while working these last few weeks of the year.

His supervisor, Tech. Sgt. Shawnte Zolicoffer, said she knows he'll keep going no matter what.

"He's a real team player, an excellent troop," she said. "You'll never hear him complain about anything."

In one aspect the New Jersey native considers himself lucky -- he gets to sleep in his own bed.

"There are people that are deployed in support of OEF and OIF and when they get off work, they have to go to the tents and get some sleep," he said.

Sleeping will be one thing that Sergeant Rosario will want to do after pulling an all-nighter on New Year's Eve. Usher in the year 2007 knowing that your future is safe with people like Sergeant Rosario at the helm, keeping us the strong and dominant Air Force the world knows.

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