Photo By Staff Sgt. Joseph Leveille | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Giselle Guerrero, a pediatric medical technician with the...... read more read more
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Hurlburt Field, Fla.-- Her father grew up in the communist-socialist country of Cuba and continually saw freedoms taken away from citizens who were often cast into economic hardship.
In 1996, at just 21 years old, her father left Cuba. He immigrated to the United States on a marriage visa to begin a better life with his wife and two children.
One of those children was Giselle Guerrero, who grew up in Tampa, Florida, watching her father persevere through adversity.
Due to the freedoms moving to America gave her family, Guerrero aspired to serve in the U.S. Air Force as a pediatric medical technician. Knowing of her father’s struggles, she was motivated to serve and defend America’s freedom.
“He came here not knowing the language at all and has made a living for himself,” said Guerrero. “He gave me those values that you have to work hard to get where you want to be.”
After witnessing her father’s fortitude, his daughter intended to give back to the country who gave her family freedom and joined the U.S. Air Force.
Today, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Giselle Guerrero serves as a pediatric medical technician with the 1st Special Operations Health Care Operations Squadron.
Her father’s determination and perseverance enabled their family to live out the American dream, understanding that other countries throughout the world might not offer the same opportunities they could find in the U.S.
“Freedom is a big thing in our household,” said Guerrero. “You finish the food off your plate, you’re thankful for the roof over your head and you’re thankful for the water that’s running.”
“I’ve always kind of had somewhere in my heart to serve this country, even for a short period of time,” said Guerrero. “Things that we take for granted mean a lot more to me than most people, knowing that my dad didn’t have that.”
Guerrero has grown to not only master her position, but become incredibly fond of it while serving with the 1st Special Operations Health Care Operations Squadron.
“I enjoy how crazy it can be at times…and being able to learn about the body and just help someone,” said Guerrero. “Especially in the Air Force Special Operations Command community, like the high speed and high tempo of everything … people are deploying all the time.”
Guerrero works mostly with dependents and beneficiaries, working diligently to provide exceptional health care for military spouses and their children.
“Being able to take care of them, I think it alleviates any sort of stress that they—the sponsor—may feel,” said Guerrero. “So knowing that, ‘Hey I’m going away, but everything’s been taken care of,’ … that helps the mental ease when someone’s overseas.”
By consistently providing professional care to military families, Guerrero enables Air Commandos to remain focused on the mission both stateside and overseas.
“Our mission set is supporting preservation of the force and family, essentially,” said Guerrero. “Providing trusted care to our military members who go overseas, risk their life, just ensuring that they are medically fit and ready because medical readiness is not just like – ‘hey your heart sounds good or your lungs sound good’—it’s being mentally ready as well.”
Guerrero takes pride in her job and in turn, helps support the 1st Special Operations Wing mission as well as the U.S. Special Operations Command POTFF mission.
Guerrero was awarded the 2018 Unsung Hero Award, was selected as the 1 SOW Airman of the Year in 2018, and was part of the winning team participating in the 2019 Air Force Medic Rodeo. Taking inspiration from her father, Guerrero works hard to keep Air Commandos resilient and medically ready to conduct special operations … Anytime, Anyplace.
| Date Taken: | 02.18.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 02.18.2020 17:34 |
| Story ID: | 363352 |
| Location: | HURLBURT FIELD, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | TAMPA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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