JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARSON, Alaska -- Staff Sgt. Adam Jenkins and Senior Airman Cassandra Jenkins are a dual-military couple fresh off of active duty who decided to continue serving their country by joining the Air Force Reserve. They joined the 944th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where both serve in the 944th Logistics Readiness Squadron and together work as maintainers in the refueling vehicle maintenance shop.
It must have been fate when Cassandra was assigned to be Adam's military sponsor in 2009 when he was new to Holloman AFB, New Mexico. They met, fell in love, and have been married for over three years.
Adam, originally from Ohio, began his military career in 2007. While on active duty he deployed twice, once to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. Currently, he is a full time student at Universal Technical Institute, studying automotive technology. He joined the military for travel, education benefits and to serve his county following a long family tradition.
So far his career highlights include his deployments, "I feel like I was involved with mission support by not only the type of vehicle I would maintain but also the quality and quantity of my work," said Adam.
Cassandra, a native of Arizona, joined the military in 2008. While on active duty she did not get to travel much or deploy down range but is very interested in getting the opportunity while serving with the 944th FW. She joined the military as a way to help take care of her mother.
Her career highlights include being the only Airman to be a primary Unit Environmental Coordinator at Holloman AFB and being a superior performer during her units 2013 Unit Compliant Inspection where they received an "Excellent" rating.
According to the DoD demographics report, there are about 90,000 military-married-to-military couples in the United States armed forces. The Air Force has the highest percentage of those with 11.6 percent.
The military treats each member of the dual-military couple as an independent entity despite the couple making decisions jointly so being a member of a dual-military couple can present a unique set of challenges, however this couple chose to overcome the adversities and continually work to find a balance between their marriage and their careers.
Working in the same unit on the same type of vehicles could prove to be difficult for some couples but not this one.
"People think we are crazy because of how much time we spend together but after five years of being together we still really enjoy each other's company," said Cassandra. "Military life is hard but we both understand it, know what to expect, and speak the same "military" language."
It did take the pair a little while to find a good balance between work and home life. "We have learned not to bring the job home," Adam commented.
As a couple they made a joint decision to leave active duty but their reasons were different. He was seeking more education to broaden his skill sets.
"With a 4.0 GPA I have been very successful in achieving my goal so far," said Adam. "Next I want to get a good job in the maintenance career field and take that knowledge and apply it to my Air Force Reserve career and hopefully teach other Airmen."
Cassandra wanted to be closer to family. "Leaving the security of active duty was a scary decision but my husband and family have been very supportive," she said. Her long term goal is to go to school for criminal justice and find a job in that career field.
They picked the 944th FW because it was close to home and family. There were a few bumps along the way but overall the transition was a smooth one. Adam indicated the Reserve was a great fit for the couple. "The best part of the switch is convenience; the Air Force Reserve really works with my schedule."
The Reserve allows them to better focus on things that are important to them, their civilian careers and getting to spend more time with family.
Starting over again has been the hardest thing about the transition for the couple. "Not having the stability of a full-time jobs and making decision about careers and school has been a challenge," said Cassandra.
They have only been in the Reserve for a few months however both agree their long term goal is to serve in the military until retirement.
On the home front, Cassandra who comes from a very large family said they would eventually like expand their family with a couple of children. Adam agreed with a large smile, "A couple of kids would be great."