NEWS
U.S. Air Force Airman Basic Richard Jimenez, 56th Contracting Squadron contract specialist, and his wife, U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Jenna Jimenez, 308th Aircraft Maintenance Unit analyst, at Luke Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Phyllis Jimenez)
Family Ties
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hat were you doing when the world came to a screeching halt? Coronavirus disease 2019 stunned the world, bringing unforeseen challenges that dramatically changed the way people went about their daily lives. However, for families like the Jimenezes, the pandemic was an opportunity to reflect and reevaluate their paths in life. “It really took the whole world coming to a stop for me to realize something was missing,” says U.S. Air Force Airman Basic Rich-
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Those who sign up together, serve together BY SENIOR AIRMAN PHYLLIS JIMENEZ 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ard Jimenez, 56th Contracting Squadron contract specialist. Richard, 37, his wife, Jenna, 30, and their son, Amarion, all signed to join the U.S. Air Force in July 2020. There are many reasons people choose to raise their right hand and take the Oath of Enlistment — from education to job stability to a desire to serve their country — it’s common to see kids join the military straight out of high school. For the Jimenez family, joining the military was a light at the end of a dark tunnel. “For us, the motivation was survival,”
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Richard says. “We instinctively did what any other family would have done in our position; find a way to make it out of that pandemic together.” Before the pandemic, the Jimenez family lived a typical American life. Richard was in the transportation business; Jenna was ready to kick start a career in real estate, and Amarion was in school studying to become an auto technician. When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, the Jimenez family fell on hard times, forcing them to adjust
