Photo By Master Sgt. Amber Williams | Staff Sgt. Mia Hackett, 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron SFS member, was one...... read more read more
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By Capt. Jamie Humphries
438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
KABUL, Afghanistan – It’s not often that people know what they want to do in life … what they want to accomplish or which path they want to take when they come upon a fork in the road. More often than not, it seems people just plod along on a path of indecision, looking for an opportunity to excel or someone to guide them. Then, at the most inopportune time it happens … the light comes on and the rest is ... shall we say … history.
Meet 28-year-old Staff Sgt. Mia Hackett.
Hackett likes to think of herself as an overachiever. After all, it takes a lot of motivation to rise each day at 4:30 a.m. just to make it to the gym before reporting for duty. She considers herself an Airman first, a mom second and wife third with leadership skills and desire to not just get by, but actually exceed the standard.
On any given day, if you happen to walk by the wing operations center here you will find Hackett, who is currently assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing. Hackett is one of 13 security forces members forward deployed here from an undisclosed location in southwest Asia and while stateside, she is a combat arms instructor at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, N.C.
Here, she works as a base defense operations center controller responsible for the wing command and control center, patrol dispatch and notifying proper authorities of emergency situations.
Hackett and the security forces team were deployed here following the April 27 shootings of nine 438th AEW members on the Afghan Air Force compound. Her squad is one of two teams to respond here to provide immediate protection and response, and she said the team felt a sense of belonging from moment they arrived.
“It gives me a great sense of pride to give this base the security it’s so badly needed and required,” she said. “I know that our presence here provides a sense of safety to those who live and work here and that makes us forward deploying to Kabul worth the while.”
Of course, as a mother and wife, this isn’t the first time she’s felt a sense of pride in the work she does.
Born in Colorado Springs, Colo., Hackett grew up as an Army brat. She and her older brother were raised in Nuemberg and Geissen, Germany. Her father served in the Army for 13 years, so traveling for her family was not uncommon. While in Germany, she was involved in ballet, tap dancing, girl scouts and also played the flute and piano. It was in elementary school that she found a love for cheerleading that took her through college. Throughout elementary, junior high and high school, she played softball, track, and basketball, and also participated in the choir and student council.
Having moved to Spanaway, Wash., where she would graduate from high school in 2000, Hackett eventually decided to join the Air Force at age 20. Although the military can be a big transition for some, her only worry was separating from her family and friends.
“When I joined the Air Force, my biggest concern was moving away from my parents,” explained Hackett. “Growing up I was very sheltered and I was nervous about being on my own, but being stationed at my first assignment in Italy helped me get over that quickly.”
As she attempted to master her craft and learn about the Air Force, Hackett was notified of a pending deployment to Kuwait. The year was 2004 and what she didn’t know was this deployment would change the course of her life as she knew it. It was on that deployment that she would meet her future husband Daryll, a fellow security forces member. They began a casual relationship, talking on the phone and by email until she moved to Nellis AFB, Nev., where he began to visit more regularly until they started dating.
“We were best friends for two years before we decided to get married,” Hackett said. “He proposed to me in the middle of a crowded mall while we were ring shopping. Five years later, we are happily married with three beautiful children.”
The couple and their children have been at Seymour Johnson close to three years now as Daryll, who separated from the Air Force, takes care of the kids while mom is deployed. She’ll admit, it’s not a perfect situation but it works for now and with their continued support, the family will eventually be reunited.
“With him being prior service security forces, he has deployed many times throughout his career and he understands the demands of being deployed,” she said. “We talk as much as we possibly can and keep communication lines open. He understands that there are times where I might not be able to call but he sends me re-assuring emails every now and again just to make me smile …to brighten up my day. He is a very strong-minded husband and father, which makes it easy for me not to stress about home life.”
Although the eight-year veteran is nearing the end of her time in Kabul, she has big aspirations and goals for the rest of her career. In the short term, that includes earning a bachelor’s degree, which she will obtain within the year, and then applying for officer training school. If selected, after graduating from OTS, she hopes to go to law school and retire from the Air Force as a commissioned officer. Her long-term goals involve becoming a corporate lawyer and hopefully owning her own law firm.
For now, Hackett continues to concentrate on her studies knowing that the time will soon come for her to be reunited with her family back home.
“Being away from my family is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do in my life,” she said. “I love hearing their sweet voices sing me songs and how their laughs light up my day. I learn something new from my children every day and knowing that I am their only mother in this world gives me the greatest sense of pride.”
| Date Taken: | 07.07.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2011 07:13 |
| Story ID: | 73437 |
| Location: | KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AF |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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