Childhood dream becomes reality for 100th LRS Airman

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The first in her immediate family to join the military, it was Airman Anna Neph’s dream since fourth grade to become part of the Air Force. Raising her hand at 17 to give the oath of enlistment was an opportunity which excited both her and her family.

“I kind of wanted to do something bigger than myself; to be a part of the military was just something I always aspired to,” said Neph, an 18-year-old vehicle operator with the 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron.

Although some of her relatives have been in the military – Neph’s grandfather was in the army and his brother was in the Air Force; other distant relatives were also army – out of her parents, two brothers and one sister, she was the first to take the leap of faith into combat boots.

“My parents were excited yet nervous about it. My younger brother and sister thought it was really cool, and my older brother was extremely supportive and very proud of me,” the 100th LRS Airman said as she described the moment she revealed to her family that she would be stationed in England, and be a very long way from home.

“I told them at Christmas, because I found out right before we were allowed to go home and see our families during technical school,” she explained. “I decided to make it a big thing, so I made a poster which said ‘I’M GOING TO ENGLAND!’ My mom and dad were so excited for me! They love to travel and have never been to England, so now they have an excuse to come visit me.”

Joining the U.S. Air Force straight out of high school meant she’d never really been away from her family or hometown before. Moving to a new country at any age can be extremely nerve-wracking; touching down in a different country, at barely 18, knowing she’d be spending the next two years of her life there, was a life-changing experience.

“It was a little difficult at first, as most people who are in the military will understand, but as time progresses, you get the feeling of being on your own two feet and independent,” Neph said. “You’re not under your parents’ wings any more and it helps you grow, and you get attuned to it but it progressively gets better as you spend time away.”

She added that arriving as a new Airman at her first base was a bit of a shock.

“I didn’t know anybody here except for one person who I shipped over here with. You’ve literally been taken away from everything that you’ve known and put into a whole new setting, which is a culture shock while at the same time you’re thinking, ‘Oh my goodness - I’m literally out here on my own,’” the vehicle operator said.

Neph described how in the short time she’s been stationed at RAF Mildenhall, she’s enjoyed the experiences she’s had so far. Having already traveled to Wales and tried her hand at zip-lining, she now has Italy, Greece and Germany on her bucket list to visit during her tour here. She also plans to explore the United Kingdom, and already has a good reason for doing so.

“I’ve actually just found out that I have some family over here, so I’d like to go meet them,” said Neph. “I also love the car culture over here, so I want to get into seeing different car shows that you guys have over here. I love everything from American muscle cars to exotic – I’m very big into cars!”

Though only 18, Neph already has a long-term goal for her future. She plans to get her degree in optometry and said she’s very fascinated with how the eyes work.

“In the short term, I want to travel, see new things, and start my core classes for getting my degree,” the Airman said.

Right now, she loves her job driving for the 100th LRS. Her role currently includes picking up aircrew from their aircraft and driving them wherever they need to go. She also supports cargo movements and drives distinguished visitors around on and off base.

“I love driving and getting a glimpse of the aircraft up close,” said Neph. “Driving is also a great chance to meet leadership and people higher up.”

Neph has already earned the respect of her supervisor, who said she is one of his “go-to” Airmen.

“When I have a job that needs to be done, Airman Neph is the one that will pull the team together,” said Staff Sgt. Ryin Rader, 100th LRS vehicle operations control center support supervisor. “Whether it’s motivating the other Airmen when cleaning a government vehicle ready for distinguished visitors, or transporting aircrew to their aircraft to further the Air Force mission, she is one motivated Airman.

“One event that stands out is when we were tasked with delivering high-visibility AGE equipment to Stansted airport, she was the one ensuring that all the cargo which made it on the tractor trailers was properly secured to the bed of the truck,” the supervisor said. “This was no easy task as some of the cargo is oddly shaped and requires a lot of patience to complete. I look forward to seeing what Amn Neph delivers to the mission at RAF Mildenhall.”

While she’s only been part of the military for a short while, she already has a great passion for the Air Force.

Neph said she also has words of wisdom that inspire her -- ‘God gives his hardest battles to his toughest soldiers,’ and ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici – I came, I saw, I conquered.’

“To not give up on something like the military shows that you’ve conquered a lot, especially being so young, raising your right hand at the age of 17 and saying, ‘I swear to defend this country.’ I’ve been through some things in my past that were very tough, and that ties in to both those quotes,” she said.

“But the greatest piece of advice I’ve been given was from my parents – ‘Never give up.’ That’s something I would pass on to other Airmen, or people who want to join the military – don’t give up on it if you’re passionate about it; don’t let people sway you from what you want to do with your life,” Neph explained.

“My parents taught me to be headstrong about something I wanted to do, and I was very headstrong about being in the military. I fought to have this opportunity, didn’t give up, and pushed against every obstacle that came along when I was trying to get in. Having that advice really helped,” she said.