WEBVTT 00:02.779 --> 00:04.779 It's the reason why I wake up every 00:04.779 --> 00:06.909 morning and it , it motivates me to 00:06.920 --> 00:10.140 just become a better person . Um Staff 00:10.149 --> 00:12.399 Sergeant Chai , I was awarded airman of 00:12.409 --> 00:14.569 the year and military member of the 00:14.579 --> 00:17.129 year and logistic person of the year . 00:17.139 --> 00:19.472 I was originally , was born in Cambodia . 00:19.479 --> 00:21.701 I moved to the state with my brother in 00:21.701 --> 00:24.350 2010 . He's also in the military , he's 00:24.360 --> 00:26.249 in the army uh National Guard . I 00:26.249 --> 00:28.629 really looked up to him . So that's why 00:28.639 --> 00:30.806 I , I'm here . I've been in about five 00:30.806 --> 00:32.917 years . One of my main reason is just 00:32.917 --> 00:35.270 to serve my country to honor my family 00:35.279 --> 00:37.279 legacy . So my brother being in , I 00:37.279 --> 00:39.549 just wanted to follow his footsteps and 00:39.560 --> 00:41.782 just to make my mom proud because she's 00:41.782 --> 00:44.020 a single mom and just want to do 00:44.029 --> 00:46.310 everything for her . I'm a full time 00:46.319 --> 00:48.430 student at U Mass Law . I'm currently 00:48.430 --> 00:51.000 studying information technology . I'm 00:51.009 --> 00:54.209 in the management over at the second 00:54.220 --> 00:57.779 logistic readiness squadron at Air 00:57.790 --> 01:00.830 National Guard Base . I do I pe which 01:00.840 --> 01:02.840 is individual clothing for like the 01:02.840 --> 01:05.269 whole base and test gas mask to meet 01:05.279 --> 01:07.239 the readiness requirement . I'm in 01:07.250 --> 01:09.629 charge of going through each section 01:09.639 --> 01:11.861 and to make sure all the equipments are 01:11.861 --> 01:14.449 being counted . For . My three proudest 01:14.459 --> 01:17.349 moment was the commuter service , the 01:17.360 --> 01:19.430 big warehouse move . And the COVID 01:19.440 --> 01:21.639 mission was definitely my top one . I 01:21.650 --> 01:23.949 volunteer at the Asian Center . I was 01:23.959 --> 01:25.959 born in Cambodia . I came here at a 01:25.959 --> 01:27.792 very young age . I didn't really 01:27.792 --> 01:29.848 understand much about like Cambodian 01:29.848 --> 01:32.070 culture and I just don't want kids here 01:32.070 --> 01:34.292 to feel the same . For example , it was 01:34.292 --> 01:36.403 Cambodian New Year . So we just there 01:36.403 --> 01:38.455 set up our stands and teach younger 01:38.464 --> 01:40.631 kids , Cambodian traditional games . I 01:40.631 --> 01:42.514 would highly recommend you to uh 01:42.525 --> 01:44.815 volunteer , do anything that you love , 01:44.824 --> 01:46.754 but also not only you making a 01:46.764 --> 01:49.097 difference for like the community , you , 01:49.097 --> 01:51.208 it's also benefit you because you get 01:51.208 --> 01:53.394 to know other people and you get to 01:53.404 --> 01:55.370 build connection . It was the big 01:55.379 --> 01:57.940 warehouse move , the move over which 01:57.949 --> 02:00.005 was removing all the shelves and all 02:00.005 --> 02:02.940 the equipment assets left with over 20 02:02.949 --> 02:04.893 million over to the new building , 02:04.893 --> 02:07.580 making sure the new warehouse is up and 02:07.589 --> 02:10.839 running to support military members . 02:10.850 --> 02:13.699 And another thing that I'm proud of was 02:13.710 --> 02:16.330 the um COVID orders that was doing the 02:16.339 --> 02:18.395 uh COVID mission , the Powderhorn co 02:18.395 --> 02:21.279 mission . Uh I was tasked to work at 02:21.289 --> 02:23.860 North Endo Sutton Hill Hospital at the 02:23.869 --> 02:26.509 retirement home and I was there for uh 02:26.520 --> 02:30.350 60 days just uh serving 02:30.360 --> 02:32.699 food and like just just to talk to them . 02:32.710 --> 02:35.610 And you could tell like it just brings 02:35.619 --> 02:37.786 a smile to your face . Every morning . 02:37.929 --> 02:40.710 And I just , I had like a similar 02:40.720 --> 02:43.190 purpose and I was very surprised 02:43.199 --> 02:45.199 actually , uh they announced at the 02:45.199 --> 02:47.421 ball , the military ball . And I had no 02:47.421 --> 02:49.630 idea when I heard my name , I was , I 02:49.639 --> 02:51.972 was just very shocked the head for hero . 02:51.972 --> 02:54.195 It was just like an opportunity for you 02:54.195 --> 02:57.050 to show your service and just to enjoy 02:57.059 --> 02:59.281 the game with your friends and family . 02:59.470 --> 03:01.692 It's still amazing to get like standing 03:01.692 --> 03:04.130 ovation from everyone like uh 20,000 03:04.139 --> 03:07.520 people . And um I'm just really 03:07.529 --> 03:10.100 happy that they chose me . I just 03:10.110 --> 03:12.054 wanted to say thank you to like my 03:12.054 --> 03:14.277 supervisor , leadership for recognizing 03:14.277 --> 03:16.960 me for my hard work . And also it 03:16.970 --> 03:19.119 wasn't for them like their mentor and 03:19.130 --> 03:21.270 leadership . I wanna be here . I just 03:21.279 --> 03:23.446 love the people I work with and what I 03:23.446 --> 03:25.557 do , one of my supervisor , he's also 03:25.557 --> 03:28.639 my uh mentor and I have my chief . He 03:28.649 --> 03:30.705 just give me good advice and I could 03:30.705 --> 03:32.927 always turn to him whenever I needed to 03:32.927 --> 03:34.816 have that . It's very important . 03:34.816 --> 03:36.990 Sometimes I would just get stuck . I 03:37.000 --> 03:39.339 could always turn to him just to help 03:39.350 --> 03:42.880 for like decision making career in and 03:42.889 --> 03:44.570 outside of military . So it's 03:44.580 --> 03:47.089 definitely your wise , like to have if 03:47.100 --> 03:49.229 you have someone that you really look 03:49.240 --> 03:52.539 up to , what makes uh a good is to , 03:53.350 --> 03:55.740 to be ready at all times , always show 03:55.750 --> 03:57.759 up with a great attitude and to 03:57.770 --> 04:00.389 volunteer , not only for work , but 04:00.399 --> 04:03.149 also for your community and you have to 04:03.160 --> 04:06.029 be uh a multi capable airman . What 04:06.039 --> 04:08.149 makes a good leader is someone who's 04:08.160 --> 04:10.271 willing to do what other people don't 04:10.271 --> 04:13.210 wanna do and to lead by example , and 04:13.220 --> 04:15.399 keeping ha happy attitude at all time 04:15.410 --> 04:17.354 and just trying to build morale up 04:17.354 --> 04:19.279 because having good morale means 04:19.290 --> 04:21.234 positive environment . And it just 04:21.234 --> 04:23.730 motivate other people to , to see a 04:23.739 --> 04:25.795 purpose , to see the purpose that uh 04:25.795 --> 04:28.017 why you do what you do ? Younger airmen 04:28.017 --> 04:30.239 don't uh don't understand that . I feel 04:30.239 --> 04:32.572 like they would just have no motivation . 04:32.572 --> 04:35.029 So if you help them understand their 04:35.040 --> 04:37.670 why it would just make a difference for 04:37.679 --> 04:39.910 me . The military helped me understand 04:39.920 --> 04:43.589 my , my why and to unleash my potential .