106th Airmen to be featured in Futures Magazine

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daniel H. Farrell
  • 106th Rescue Wing

GABRESKI AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Westhampton Beach, NY – Futures Magazine, an annual Department of Defense publication which highlights the lives of military service members, shadowed two Airman from the 106th Rescue Wing assigned to the New York Air National Guard, Westhampton Beach, NY, on and off-duty from October 31 to November 2, 2017.


The magazine, which is distributed to high schools across the United States, chose to follow Staff. Sgt. Alejandra Cepeda, a fire fighter with the 106th Civil Engineer Squadron, and Senior Airman Alexander Triani, a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist with the 103rd Rescue Squadron of the 106th Rescue Wing, in order to find their motives for joining the Air National Guard, what they like about the military, and how they adjust between civilian and military life.


"It was a tremendous honor to have been given the opportunity to inspire the future generation of service members in our country,” said Cepeda. “It enlightened me to reflect on the greatest lesson I’ve learned during my time in the service, the power of your own perseverance and drive to succeed."


Cepeda took the three person team from Futures Magazine around New York City to show parts of her civilian life. The following day, Futures Magazine followed Cepeda during a pump and roll training exercise at the 106th Rescue Wing, in which she used a hose truck to circle an aircraft while spraying it down.


Futures Magazine also followed Triani as he held a basic survival skills training session in a wooded area near the air base, then later that day while coaching at a CrossFit gym in Bayport, New York.


After spending the day photographing the Airmen, Futures Magazine sat down to interview each of them.


“It was great to represent the squadron and my unit,” said Triani. “To speak to a larger audience, to show one of the many opportunities the Guard and the Air Force provides.”

           

The magazine is scheduled to be released September 2018 and will feature the photos and interviews from the three days spent with the Airmen.