HONOLULU, Hawaii –
Have you ever found your calling in life? Did you feel for the first time you know you are exactly where you need to be and what you need to be doing? If you asked me this question a year ago, my answer would not have been a positive one. I was just going through everyday motions, never really satisfied with what I was doing. Little did I know it was all about to become crystal clear.
I had found out that I had orders to Hawaii around New Year’s Eve. When I say it was the biggest shock of my life, I really mean it. I do not think there is a word for the excitement I was feeling. After spending more than four years in New Mexico I was ready for a change of scenery. Not only was I getting moved to a tropical paradise, I had also just landed one of the best jobs you can get as a military photojournalist-The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).
I heard about DPAA throughout my career, but never imagined I would be a part of this wonderful agency. I thought to myself, “What do you mean you are going to Vietnam? What could you be doing out there 41 years after the war had ended?”
Nevertheless I packed my bags, and before I knew it, I was walking through DPAA’s front doors. It wasn’t long before I found out exactly why we are here, that exact moment is when I knew this is where I belonged.
DPAA provides the fullest possible accounting for our missing and fallen heroes from previous U.S. conflicts. As a forensic photographer, I get to travel with recovery teams to countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, France and even Laos, in efforts to bring as many POW/MIA’s home. Knowing that some of these heroes still have families with no answers makes this the most heart-wrenching job I have ever done, but in a good way. DPAA gives families hope, answers and closure; I am a part of it.
Currently, I am on my first mission in the Quang Tri province of Vietnam, searching for the remains of a U.S. service member that went missing during a photo reconnaissance mission during the Vietnam War. To know I am a part of this team, to be on the same grounds our Soldiers once stood, gives me goosebumps every time I think about it. I want to be here. I want to find him. I want to bring him home to his family.
Do not get me wrong. The days are long and hot, as well as mentally and physically exhausting. Missions can range anywhere from 30 to 60 days with one day off for as many of 14 days of work. Yes, that includes weekends. We dig and screen soil from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon, in the rainy, hot Vietnam jungle. I have seen leeches, green pit vipers, flooding and a whole lot of bees so far. It is definitely a stretch for a girl who had never been out of the country. I mean how many 23-year-olds can say, “Back when I was in Nam?” However, I said it, and I will say it again... I was meant to be here.
I love my job. I love providing photos that could help close a case someday. I love working with all services with all different skill sets. I love learning about new cultures and seeing new places. Most importantly, I love seeing the look on the families faces when we have new information, or can finally say, “We found him.”
So if you asked me right now, “Did you ever find your calling in life?” Absolutely! I am exactly where I need to be, working for DPAA to help find answers to the families of those that never came home.