LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- A commonality within Herk Nation is the mission set, but it’s made up of a diverse group of Airmen. U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Bronwyn Barnard, 19th Medical Group aerospace medical technician, is one of many Airmen born in a different country who have chosen to serve as part of the American Armed Forces.
Barnard was born in South Africa into a military family. She moved to Australia with her family at age 8 and later joined the Australian Air Force Cadets at age 12 which sparked her passion for the military.
Upon finishing her bachelor degree in Criminology, she moved to the United States at age 21 with her family to pursue a better life. She decided to finally pursue her passion for the military. Barnard weighed the choice between the Royal Australian air force and the U.S. Air Force, and ultimately decided to enlist in her new homeland.
“I decided to join the U.S. Air Force for a couple different reasons,” Barnard said. “There’s a lot of energy and resources poured into the world’s greatest Air Force, so I knew I’d have more opportunities to travel the United States and better myself professionally.”
With these opportunities in mind, Barnard wanted to enlist in a field supported by her degree. Unfortunately, Barnard didn’t qualify for those jobs since she hadn’t yet received her citizenship. Therefore, she decided to pursue the medical path.
After landing a position as an aerospace medical technician, Barnard’s started realizing her passion for medical practices, so she began taking advantage of the numerous avenues available to her in the medical field.
“In the civilian world I would not be able to do nearly as much as I do in the military as an aerospace medical technician,” Barnard said. “I have so many opportunities to work in a variety of medical facilities such as an emergency room, family health or intensive care unit.”
Not only has Barnard found ways to grow professionally, but she has also found a great team in the 19th MDG.
“My team is great here at the med group,” Barnard said. “Everyone communicates really well and everybody is respectful to each other. We all have certain skills we bring to the table. If I have a weakness and another person has a strength, they can teach me, which makes me better at my job.”
Through her many experiences in the Air Force, Barnard was able to get out of her comfort zone and expand her knowledge about the base’s overall mission set through numerous relationships.
“I can walk down the street and almost everyone I see I have met at some point,” Barnard said. “I feel like I get tunnel vision working at the clinic every day so when I get to meet other Airmen, I learn the importance of every job and how it contributes to our Herk Nation mission.”