Airman credits brother-in-law for decision to join

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jared Marquis
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Most people have a hero or someone they credit for being the person they are today.

For me, that person isn’t a teacher, supervisor or parent. While I have had my share of influential people in my life, that credit goes to Senior Airman Jason Cunningham.

Before March 4, 2002, I had never seriously thought about joining the military. I went to see recruiters when I graduated from high school and listened to what they had to say. But, I never really considered the military as a career path.

I wanted to do something important with my life; I just didn’t know what.  I worked hard at what I thought I wanted to be, reaching most of my goals and being relatively successful.

But that all changed on March 4, 2002.

That morning, my wife and I received a phone call at 5:30. A phone call that early is usually bad news, and this time was no different.

My mother-in-law called to tell us that Jason -- her son, my wife’s brother, an Air Force pararescueman -- had been killed in Afghanistan.

Most of the two weeks after that were a blur.  Unless you are faced with it, no one can possibly understand the pain and suffering a situation like that brings.

I felt completely helpless, doing everything I could for the people I love, but always feeling like I came up short.

Before then, I had never directly faced war. As a civilian living in a town without any kind of military influence, other than the local recruiters, I felt a million miles away.

Before that moment, I had never considered the effect war could have on my life.

Military service is a responsibility. Jason showed me that by his dedication, service and commitment. Not one time, did anyone who knew Jason think that he wouldn’t succeed at whatever he did.

One of the most powerful moments I experienced was at Jason’s funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. I remember seeing a three-star general salute Jason's casket as it made its way to his final resting place.

I am here to tell you, even as a civilian, I understood how powerful an image that was. I could see in his face how much respect he had for the fallen Airman. 

After the funeral, I had a lot of time to think, and came to a conclusion. I knew I wanted to serve my country the way Jason did, the way that all our fallen servicemembers have.

When Jason died, he left behind a wife and two daughters. I didn’t feel it was right for me to stay home with my wife and kids, enjoying the freedom he fought for. I couldn’t stay home when people like him were unselfishly risking everything. I felt it was my responsibility to stand up and fight.

For that reason, I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone wearing the uniform of the U.S. military.

It doesn’t matter what job they chose or why they joined, because the bottom line is they accepted the responsibility.  They stepped up to defend our country.

Too often, I think we forget why we are here and why we chose this path in our lives. I have a daily reminder of why I am here. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of Jason and what he left behind.

In my technical school class, my instructor would write a question on the board every day.  Most of the time it was something like, “What is your favorite movie?”

Usually, I would think for a minute, never really picking out an answer that mattered to me.

But one day he wrote: “If you could talk to anyone, living or dead, who would it be?” Most of my classmates wrote someone famous.

As soon as I saw that question, I knew my answer. Like most of the people affected by Jason’s death, I would give anything for one more conversation with him. I would share with him what his life, and death, meant to me.

Where ever my Air Force career takes me, one person deserves the credit. 

That person is Senior Airman Jason Cunningham.