Photo By Senior Airman Jordan Gonzalez | Senior Airman Jalen Whitehorn, 52nd Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight...... read more read more
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany - The smell of cedar and firewood fills the air alongside an abundance of people in colorful regalia, each dressed to represent their history. The sound of drums and bells bring familiarity with each vibrant rhythm the instruments produce, matched with singing and laughter amongst the families participating. Each person dances counter-clockwise in a circular motion, with every movement emitting an intimate synergy within the tribe. The In-Lon-Schka dances take place over three weekends in June and are a significant ceremonial gathering in Osage Culture, combining the Pawhuska, Hominy, and Grayhorse districts. The dances celebrate Osage culture by connecting families from the reservation and counties around Oklahoma by wearing traditional attire to dance, eat, and enjoy the history surrounding their tribe. For Senior Airman Jalen Whitehorn, who belongs to the Osage tribe and just received his orders to Spangdahlem Germany, the reality of missing out on this important tradition was a sacrifice he was faced with for the first time in his life.
Whitehorn, a 52nd Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment mechanic, completed technical school in 2022 and was assigned to his first duty station, more than 5,000 miles away from his family in Norman, Oklahoma. Aircrew Flight Equipment specialists make sure pilots have the supplies necessary for any situation. From packing emergency items like parachutes and survival kits to maintaining regularly used items like flight helmets and oxygen masks, his attention to detail could mean the difference between life and death.
Whitehorn recalled what went through his mind when he received his assignment to Spangdahlem Air Base.
“The first thing that went to my head was what about the dances and what about June? It was kind of like a shock, I was mostly hoping for somewhere nearby.” Whitehorn said. “I never experienced homesickness, but that first month or two, it definitely all hit me at once.”
Whitehorn had attended these dances all his life and was fortunate to make it back due to a scheduling change which required moving the dances to October in 2022. He understood the sacrifice each service member makes when being stationed away from their family first hand and promised his family no matter where he was in the world, he would always make it back for this tradition.
Whitehorn used various gifts and objects to create a display he called the native family wall in his dorm, displaying a giant map of the United States and all the reservations in view. He spoke about a gift he received at his sendoff dinner and the significance it had to helping him adjust to an environment without his family.
“That was when I got my eagle feather and we had a traditional way of receiving it called being smoked off with Cedar,” he said. “The main process of it is you take that feather as a blessing; I definitely take it out from time to time whenever I need some kind of strength.”
Both of Whitehorn’s great grandfathers served in the United States military and he is proud to be the first out of his immediate family members to serve. Even though he cherishes his family’s history, Whitehorn struggled to balance both his Air Force obligations and Native American heritage.
Whitehorn said he didn’t open up to anyone about his heritage when he first arrived on station because he didn’t know of any other Native Americans here. “I kept these parts of myself separate,” he explained. “I knew I had my name on my uniform, and I wear it proudly on my chest, but now I have another name on my chest, which is the U.S Air Force. How do I balance these two or make them come together?”
In 2023, Whitehorn grew closer to a co-worker from his unit who is a Pacific Islander, and found many similarities from each other's backgrounds. He began to feel more comfortable speaking about his family and learning more about other cultures.
“A couple years ago I was the quiet guy and not really the type of person to hop into the spotlight,” Whitehorn said." If you were to open a door for me and walk away from that door, I'm not going to walk through that door until you invite me in,.”
Whitehorn credits his mentor Technical Sergeant Tranpas Hooke as the person that really helped him balance his service with his culture.
Hooke, 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron electrical systems craftsman, met Whitehorn through a mutual friend before Spangdahlem’s 2023 Diversity Day, an event that highlights the diverse cultures of the Airmen who serve at Spangdahlem. Hooke soon recruited Whitehorn to the Native American Heritage committee, consisting of Saber Native American members who share a passion to inform others and connect their cultures within the community.
“A lot of Airmen I have met so far are just trying to find their footing as they adjust to the military lifestyle and don’t really find that spark for giving back to the community early in their careers,” said Hooke. “He takes his own personal time to help make a lot of things the committee does possible.”
Hooke explained how Whitehorn is a pillar of the Native American Heritage Committee by collaborating and coordinating with Native Americans across the installation.
With all the events that Whitehorn helped organize, such as the traditional fry bread cooking class and supporting a local food pantry, he remembered an occasion where he helped give out handmade ornaments crafted from students at an all-Osage school or Daposka Ahnkodapi, that his sister attends to the spouse of Col. Steven Lamb, (the former) Mission Support Group commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing. Leading Lamb to send back a Saber Nation plaque to the students as a symbol of appreciation.
“He sent it back to Oklahoma, to this small school with a lot less than 100 kids, and when I went back home, I had the kids take a picture with the plaque,” said Whitehorn. “I went to his going away party and gave him the picture, it was definitely an eye opener for most of those kids that barely know what’s outside of Oklahoma. Knowing that someone from across the world was like “I see you” definitely sparked a lot of happy faces over there.”
Whitehorn is responsible for much of the progress of the Native American Heritage committee at Spangdahlem Air Base and looks to share that progress with Native Americans and his fellow wingmen to improve their mental health and be true to themselves.
“I think one of the hard parts for Native Americans is identifying mental health and how important it is, you’re always going to have that deniability.” Whitehorn said. “I’ve helped a lot of different people overcome those things and I want to bridge the gap within mental health in my community and I feel like the military has given me the platform to do so.”
| Date Taken: | 11.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2024 02:46 |
| Story ID: | 484641 |
| Location: | RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Embracing Culture Strengthens Leadership, by SrA Jordan Gonzalez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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