Photo By Senior Airman Taylor Phifer | U.S. Air Force Capt. Robert Bergamasco, an airfield operations officer assigned to the...... read more read more
Subscribe
As time progressed from the day they both enlisted in the Air Force, the couple approached the inevitable fork in the road: should they stay in the military or not.
On Sept. 5, 2017, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dominic Bergamasco, a client systems technician assigned to the 509th Communications Squadron, and his wife, Staff Sgt. Robin Bergamasco, an administrator assigned to the 72d Test and Evaluation Squadron, decided to re-enlist for another four years in the military.
Dominic grew up in Pennsylvania where he went to college for a couple years after high school, but knew he wanted something more out of life. He came from a military background with his father, uncle and cousins all previously serving in the military. After talking to his father, Dominic decided he wanted to join the Air Force and follow in his family’s footsteps.
From a small town in Michigan, Robin joined the Air Force soon after graduating from high school. She wanted a change in her life and wanted to travel, so she knew the military was her best option. Robin was the first member of her family to join the service.
The two both left for Basic Military Training (BMT) on Jan. 17, 2012. They didn’t know it at the time, but they would soon be a major part of each other’s life. In BMT, Dominic was in Robin’s brother flight, which is where they first remember seeing each other.
“I would occasionally see him when we went to chow, classes or appointments,” said Robin. “We couldn’t talk in BMT, but technical school was a different story.”
After completing BMT, both of them were sent to Keesler Air Force Base (AFB), Mississippi. Although they attended different technical schools while at Keesler, they were required to take the same orientation class. The mandatory class was where they officially met.
“I remember him sitting in front of me in that very first class,” said Robin. “That’s when Dominic and I started to build a friendship that later turned into a great relationship.”
After building a friendship, the two decided to start dating which soon meant putting in the effort for a long-distance relationship as they moved to different parts of the country. In June 2012, Robin headed for her first duty station at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Soon after in August 2012, Dominic made his way to Langley AFB, Virginia.
They continued their long-distance relationship and later married in June 2013, in Robin’s hometown. After the wedding, Dominic soon joined his wife in Alaska. About three years later, the couple was sent to Whiteman AFB, Missouri.
With almost six years in the service, it was time for the couple to decide whether they would leave or stay in the military. After discussing their options, they both made the decision to re-enlist and continue serving their country.
“I decided to stay in the military because I love the Air Force and my job,” said Dominic. “I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”
The couple knew they wanted to do the ceremony together since they swore in for the first time back in 2012. For the re-enlistment ceremony, Dominic’s cousin, Capt. Robert Bergamasco, an airfield operations officer assigned to the 305th Operations Support Squadron located at joint base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, travelled to Whiteman to swear them in.
“He flew here from his base in New Jersey ... my cousin and I have always been really close, so it meant a lot for him to do this for us” said Dominic.
This event brought these family members together and was an emotional moment in their lives.
“It was amazing to have a family member that could swear us in,” said Robin. “When you re-enlist, you try to pick an officer that is significant to you, and it’s great that we had such a close family member who could do this for us.”
Any officer could have done the ceremony, but Dominic’s cousin, Robert, was happy to fly to Whiteman in order to do this for them and make it even more special.
“It was an honor to be involved in their re-enlistment,” said Robert. “The way we did this ceremony meant a lot to our families. The distance of our bases was not a problem for us, no matter where those two ended up I wasn’t going to miss this unforgettable opportunity.”
On Sept. 5, 2017, the Bergamascos raised their right hands again and made an oath to continue serving in the Air Force while carrying out their family tradition.
| Date Taken: | 09.22.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2017 10:02 |
| Story ID: | 249515 |
| Location: | WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, MO, US |
| Web Views: | 370 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From one oath to another, by SrA Taylor Phifer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT