<p>"I don’t think most people who join the AF have this in mind and far greater than 99% of them their life won’t ‘be sacrificed’ "</p>
<p>Maybe that’s true, but I found it not helpful at all to realize that when it happens to you or someone you love. I feel quite certain my mom never imagined it could happen when she encouraged me to sign up in 1977, but the day I went on active duty in 1990, it happened to a lot of people. If it doesn’t happen to you it might happen someone you work with, someone you deploy. I still get emotional just thinking about the mood at Travis Air Force base during Desert Storm.</p>