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U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Marshall Nerios, 628th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, poses for an environmental portrait at Joint Base Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, Sept. 2, 2026. Nerios, a Miami, Florida, native, joined the Air Force Sept. 6, 2022, and was diagnosed with Stage 2 testicular cancer roughly a year later. Following surgery to remove the tumor, Nerios endured recurring infections and complications that continued through his 2024 deployment to Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, where doctors eventually discussed sending him to Germany for emergency surgery. After returning home, he struggled to process the physical and emotional effects of what he had experienced and eventually recognized that he needed help.
On July 8, 2025, Nerios checked himself into the Air Force Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program and began working with a therapist. Six months of sobriety gave him a new perspective on what strength meant and helped him begin appreciating the small things in life.
“Put that pride aside,” Nerios said. “You can just be vulnerable for a second.”
Nerios now encourages the firefighters around him to seek help when they need it, drawing from his own experience to remind others that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christian Silvera)
| Date Taken: | 09.03.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2026 19:15 |
| Photo ID: | 9933233 |
| VIRIN: | 260902-F-XY111-1197 |
| Resolution: | 5441x3061 |
| Size: | 1.95 MB |
| Location: | CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 7 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Still Standing [Image 3 of 3], by SSgt Christian Silvera, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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