By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Independence Day means a bit more for those serving in the military, especially those serving overseas.
A Plattsburg native will be spending the holiday in Kuwait, where she is deployed as a member of the 139th Airlift Wing of the Air National Guard.
Staff Sergeant Mary Kate Masters, who has been in the Air National Guard for five years, has been serving in Kuwait for the past six months. Masters says she has experienced and seen first-hand the sacrifices it takes to keep this country free.
“It’s something that we fought to get a long time ago, but we constantly have to make the sacrifices day-to-day to keep the freedom,” Masters tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post in a phone interview from Kuwait. “And a lot of us have taken it for granted.”
For most of us, Independence Day isn’t even referred to as Independence Day, but as the 4th of July. It means a day off for cookouts, backyard games, and fireworks. Rarely, it seems, do we reflect on what the holiday actually means.
Masters serves as Commander’s Support Staff at the 139th base at Rosecrans Memorial Airport, performing various administrative duties including critical squadron functions on behalf of the unit commander. Her position in Kuwait goes by the acronym of PERSCO (Personnel Support for Contingency Operations), performing accountability and personnel support duties, similar to her stateside duties.
Masters says she will miss the celebration back home, but will enjoy Independence Day celebrations with her military family in Kuwait. The Air Guard has a 5-K planned for the 4th as well as a cook-out and, perhaps, fireworks.
During our phone call to Masters, we couldn't resist asking what the temperature was in Kuwait. She replied that it was 108 degrees when we talked with her at 7 o'clock that evening. Masters says it had come down since it hit a high of 120 earlier that day.
Masters says though she has been serving overseas for six months, some of her colleagues have been deployed for at least a year, making a huge sacrifice.
“That time away from family, missing all the events, there is a sacrifice and people, as a whole, kind of take it for granted,” Masters says.
In a way, our neglect of the significance of this day might just emphasize how well our military has maintained the peace.
Masters says the sacrifice of military members makes all those Independence Day celebrations possible.
“We wouldn’t have a 4th of July to celebrate and we wouldn’t have a free country to live in if it weren’t for the sacrifices of military members,” according to Masters.
Masters says Independence Day reminds those in the military about why they serve, why they joined the military in the first place: to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Masters wants those back home to truly celebrate their freedoms on this 4th of July.
“Be grateful for your neighbor whether you agree or disagree,” Masters advises. “There is truly one America and you should be thankful for it.”
Masters says though she will not be able to celebrate with her family and friends back home in Plattsburg, she will be celebrating with her military family in Kuwait.