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  • Airman’s rough road strengthens resiliency in self, others

    MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.— “I had an average life. There was nothing dramatic about it — or so I thought.”EARLY YEARSMaster Sgt. Ieaka Olmstead, 22nd Operations Support Squadron host aviation resource management superintendent, grew up in Georgia with a mother battling a mental illness. When

  • Building cars, building Airmen

    “He smoked Marlboro Reds—cowboy killers,” said Master Sgt. Bobby McCrary, illustrating his grandfather. McCrary, 22nd Force Support Squadron NCO in-charge of Honor Guard, grew up going to car shows and swap meets with his grandfather, who rebuilt classic cars. They would travel up and down the state

  • A journey of resiliency: healing the wounds that can’t be seen

    Nine deployments, severe depression, anxiety and alcoholism, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and a suicide attempt were what drove one McConnell Airman to begin a journey to reshape his life.“My first combative deployment was to Kirkuk, Iraq, back in 2006,” said Tech. Sgt. Terrance Williams, 22nd