Photo By Senior Airman Natalie Doan | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Olay, left, 27th Fighter Generation Squadron F-22...... read more read more
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“You still gonna be in Guam next year?”
Tech. Sgt. Junnel Olay, the wing airfield driving program manager with the 36th Operations Support Squadron at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, looked at the text from his younger brother, punctuated by the eyes emoji. Ideas of things they could do together in Guam immediately whirred in his head, and excited, he typed: “Yezzirrrrrr.”
Over 7,900 miles away, across the Pacific Ocean and continental United States, Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Olay, an F-22 flightline expediter with the 27th Fighter Generation Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, read the reply from his brother and started to think about what it would be like to see him again. Hoping nothing would change, he texted back to tell him his unit was scheduled to deploy to Guam for Exercise Valiant Shield 24, and they would get to see each other for the first time in five years.
The last time Jeremy and Junnel saw each other was on Thanksgiving in 2019. They returned to their home state of California, where they had grown up together for 15 years.
“Growing up, we were very close,” said Junnel. “Only three years apart, we did everything together and shared the same interests.”
Inspired by their dad, the brothers enlisted in the U.S. Air Force — Junnel in 2009 and Jeremy in 2013. Since then, their relationship shifted from wrestling and playing video games as kids to reminiscing and sharing life advice as husbands, fathers, and supervisors.
Despite being the older brother, Junnel still turns to Jeremy for guidance.
“Even though he's my younger brother, I look to him for a lot of inspiration and courage,” said Junnel. “He has shown me the kind of man the Air Force has forged him into. He has become the person he needed to be during tough times, and I find the courage in myself to do the same.”
Likewise, Jeremy sees his older brother as a mentor.
“Since joining the military, I have had no better mentor than my brother,” said Jeremy. “Every day, I look up to him and value his advice. He has motivated me to push through difficult times, accept my faults, and become a better person. That is why I say that all my success is because of him.”
Jeremy and Junnel looked forward to their reunion as they waited for the start of Valiant Shield 24, a biennial exercise that takes place in the Pacific, including Guam. Valiant Shield brings together multiple nations and units to focus on improving collaboration and cooperation among the U.S. military and its allies. The exercise also aims to prepare forces to quickly respond to crises ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to armed conflict.
For Jeremy and his unit, this meant deploying to Guam to support air operations alongside other military branches, providing an opportunity for Jeremy and his brother to reconnect on a personal and professional level.
Upon seeing his brother for the first time in five years, Jeremy had an emotional experience.
“Once I saw him, emotions I didn't know I was carrying were released,” said Jeremy. “When we hugged, it felt like a lot of weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and we were just boys again growing up in Fresno. Time gets you, and it doesn't wait for anyone. I couldn't believe it had been five years since I had held my brother.”
Throughout Valiant Shield, Jeremy and Junnel made time to catch up with each other, in spite of their busy schedules. Whether it was when Jeremy was coordinating flightline maintenance for F-22s during the exercise or when Junnel was training service members to drive safely on the airfield, they always made sure to say hello.
For Junnel, this taught him to cherish every minute he has with his brother.
“After seeing my brother for the first time in five years, I learned to value every moment,” said Junnel. “Who knows how long these minutes we have together will have to last us until we meet again? I'm thankful for the time we've had so far and now have a completely new outlook on how I spend my precious time.”
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.21.2024 13:26 |
| Story ID: | 474105 |
| Location: | ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GU |
| Web Views: | 3,495 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Air Force brothers reunite in Guam for exercise after five years apart, by SrA Natalie Doan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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