BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
The 940th Wing Airman of the Year is proud to be a Services Flight Reservist. Staff Sgt. Marcos Palacios knows his Reserve career field plays a key role in the Air Force's fight against terrorism.
But this attitude wasn't always the case for this NCO. A recent deployment to Afghanistan gave him a wider perspective of his mission.
Originally from Mexico, Palacios had the daunting task of learning a new language while keeping up his grades in the U.S. "At first, it wasn't going well because of the language barrier," he said.
Not one to give up easily, Palacios entered a military-based high school program that sparked his interest in the armed forces. He was able to learn English and receive his GED in five months. His heart was set on joining the Marines or the Army after high school, but, for medical reasons, he could not.
Palacios believes there was a reason he wasn't accepted. Three of his friends from his high school died in Iraq a short time after graduating. "I believe things happen for a reason, that's why I wasn't there," he said.
At the age of 20 and with two associate degrees under his belt, Sergeant Palacios decided the Air Force was the way to go. Although it wasn't the Army, he still desired to work in a combat-type career.
"I wanted to go with my feelings, and I wanted to do some type of infantry," Palacios said.
In the Air Force, he tried to join the Security Forces, but couldn't because he was a not a U.S. citizen. When they offered him a job in the services career field, he reluctantly accepted the position.
"Even after I graduated from basic training and went through tech school, I still didn't like my job," he said. However, a five -month tour in the Afghanistan would change that.
Sergeant Palacios didn't see his role as a 940th Wing Reservist as important before his deployment. But the tour in Afghanistan gave him plenty of opportunities to use his services training to support the war effort in the Middle East. "Although my main job was recreation, I had the opportunity to perform all the services jobs."
Palacios cooked for 600 hundred troops, helped to open a brand new gym, performed mortuary duties, recreated a data base for base lodging, served on the honor guard team, and made Christmas videos for loved ones back home.
At first, Palacios felt bad because he was not with those who were fighting outside the gates of the base. "I still felt like I wasn't doing anything important," he said.
Then one of his commanders told Palacios that, if it wasn't for services, there wouldn't be a place for those fighting to sleep, relax, and eat in order to be ready for another day of fighting. Palacios quickly began to realize the importance of his job.
Sergeant Palacios had a renewed sense of mission when he arrived back at Beale Air Force Base. "Now that I've seen the big picture, if I'm required to deploy again, I'm going to be ready physically and mentally."
Tech. Sgt. Leslie Holmes of the 940th Services Flight wasn't surprised when Palacios received the Airman of the Year Award. "Sergeant Palacios is always there to give a helping hand and volunteers for everything," Sgt. Holmes said.