Photo By Senior Airman Mark Sulaica | Lt. Col. Reinier Villanueva, 15th Wing chief of safety, stands for a photo on Joint...... read more read more
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HONOLULU, Hawaii – Over the years, the focus on how Airmen practice resilience has grown so that service members and their families are able to properly cope with challenges as they arise. An officer stationed at the 15th Wing Safety Office at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, recently recalled his personal story of resilience after facing extreme illness.
In September of 2021, Lt. Col. Reinier Villanueva, 15th Wing chief of safety, noticed a small lump near his throat. Although it wasn’t affecting his daily life, he went to get it checked out. Initially the doctors told him that it wasn’t a problem, but recommended that he keep an eye on it. A couple years later in 2023, all of that changed.
He underwent a biopsy and doctors found evidence of cancer cells in his thyroid. He then had to decide how to process what he had just learned and inform his loved ones.
“I surprised myself because the news was heavy, but I was able to accept the information and then move on to asking, what are we going to do about it,” Villanueva shared. “I think that 30 minute conversation with the doctor was easier than telling my wife and family about the diagnosis. It's hard for family members to hear because you don't really know what the future is going to look like.”
After pushing through the difficulty of notifying his family and leadership, there was nothing left to do except move forward with treatment.
“The most conservative reaction was to get the thyroid removed, so about a week after that we went to surgery”, Villanueva said. “At Tripler [Army Medical Center], the doctors there were great. They helped me through it and gave me everything I needed, including the information and the best course of action.”
When the removal surgery was completed, doctors were able to see that it had reached stage two and it had spread to his lymph nodes. From there, he underwent radiation procedures.
During the time he received the cancer diagnosis, Villanueva and his wife were already busy raising a three year old son and were expecting another child soon. Despite their existing obligations, Villanueva said his wife provided unwavering support.
“I definitely thank my wife for getting me through that portion of our lives, for giving me the opportunity to get it right despite the time it took and for taking the load off when my energy was low, even though she was six months pregnant,” said Villanueva.
He also discussed how his military training played a part in helping him to navigate such a challenging situation.
“I think as an Air Force aviator and as a military officer, when things go wrong, you’re trained to stay calm and collected if you're dealing with an emergency,” said Villanueva. “You need to be able to take in information very quickly and take the appropriate action to remedy it, because no amount of panic or distress is going to help.”
Although the situation looked bleak at the start, Villanueva reflected on how quickly he recovered and highlighted the support he received from his team.
“During that time of convalescent leave for the surgery, recovery and then the radiation recovery after that, I’m really thankful for the Airmen at wing safety, because even though I wasn't there, I had complete faith that they could get the job done, and do it well while I got back to where I needed to be.”
He went on to stress the importance team support plays in boosting resilience throughout the entire Air Force.
“As a younger Airman, you look at our senior leaders, and you always think of them as Supermen and women, right? Unflappable, infallible, invincible, but as I've gotten older and begun to work closer to senior leaders, I realized that they're going through the same struggles that every other airman goes through,” Villanueva said. “Look how the Air Force family and community works. It's the knowledge that no matter where you are, everyone else will make sure the mission gets done while you're getting to where you need to be, so that you can get back to the mission. Seeing and feeling that firsthand was just really powerful.”
Villanueva and his wife welcomed their second baby boy this year in January. He has now fully regained his health and is back at work and on flying status. After making it through this difficult circumstance, he gained new insights and wisdom to share with other Airmen.
“The advice I give to Airmen when they are going through things that are tough is to always remember you're not alone,” said Villanueva. “I know this from experience, you are never alone. You have your friends, family, community, your Air Force community. I want Airmen to be vulnerable and feel comfortable sharing their struggles because fellow Airmen, supervisors, first sergeants and commanders all up the chain of command are there for you.”
| Date Taken: | 05.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2024 15:41 |
| Story ID: | 470844 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR HICKAM, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 40 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A story of resilience: pilot conquers cancer, by TSgt Tarelle Walker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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