Photo By Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Taranto | Senior Airman Max Miller, Defense Media Activity Pacific - Hawaii Media Bureau public...... read more read more
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The Foundation of Identity
DMA Pacific - Hawaii Media Bureau
Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Taranto
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI — Every Airman bares two designations on their uniform: a family name which connects them to their loved ones, and the name of a chosen family they’ve dedicated themselves to serving in - the Air Force.
But there is more to a sense of self than simply knowing where you belong within these respective families, and identity can lay far beneath what one can see on the surface.
Senior Airman Max Miller, a public affairs specialist with Defense Media Activity Pacific - Hawaii Media Bureau, recently took on the lengthy challenge of legally changing their name. To them, the process was well worth the reward- a name reflecting their non-binary identity.
It’s an undertaking that requires a dedication to personal courage and patience with others around them, even their closest family members.
“My husband had a lot of questions,” Miller said. “He asked me what he needed to do to support me, which was the best question anyone could have asked. He wanted to understand the terms, practice them, and get the pronouns right. It was important to him, and it helped make it real for me.”
Miller says identity plays an important role in their mental health giving them a foundation on which to stand solidly in the face of adversity and the daily pressures that come with the job.
“The Air Force accepted me immediately. For me, working for an organization that supports and respects who I am, fosters an environment for individuals to achieve their highest potential and be the the best version of themselves.”
For Airmen like Miller, personal identity bridges the gap between their name tape and branch of service, strengthening the Air Force through a grounded conviction in who they are, never questioning where they belong.
| Date Taken: | 10.13.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2021 21:13 |
| Story ID: | 407656 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 157 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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