An Airman's journey following destruction and devastation

by Senior Airman Chelsea Smith
514th Air Mobility Wing public affairs

1/16/2014 - JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Hurricane Sandy's punch brought a long aftermath of recovery efforts to rebuild, renew and regenerate livelihoods and a sense of normalcy to the victims. Now remembered as one of the strongest and probably most brutal hurricanes on record to ravish the East Coast, many were forced to start from scratch, tirelessly rebuilding homes, businesses and replacing a life's worth of belongings.

Several Freedom Wing Airmen were affected by Sandy and many participated in the relief efforts following its aftermath. One Airman's unique journey required him to recuperate amid a two-month shipment to basic military training, four months of technical school training and another three months of seasonal training, all within the one year anniversary.

October also marked two anniversaries for Senior Airman Julius Guest, a 514th Air Mobility Wing knowledge operations manager: The day he lost his home to an accidental fire and his first wedding anniversary with his longtime friend and confidante, Kathlyn Guest, who served as his motivator and supporter along his jarring journey.

A seasoned New Yorker and long-time Queens resident, Guest regularly attended unit training assemblies to prepare for BMT while serving as a member of the wing's development and training flight.

A month into his marriage, he was living the typical newlywed life building a foundation for his family, which included his wife and cat, Mischief, in their three-bedroom home situated on the second floor of a three-story complex. On the night of the storm, a freak accident would drastically change the trajectory of 2013 - a year pre-planned for new beginnings that would now include new challenges.

"I vividly remember the night of the storm because I was watching Monday Night Football," Guest said. "I was next to my stockpile of flashlights and batteries in case of any outages due to the impending storm."

Despite a fast approaching storm, his block stayed relatively calm and unaffected by the fierce winds which caused power outages. Before retiring to bed, he brewed a cup of tea but was confused by the burning smell permeating the room and the heavy footsteps prodding from above. The commotion concerning due to the arrival of the storm prompted him to wake his wife, retrieve their cat and leave the sanctuary of their home, he said.

"We went outside and saw our neighbors huddled beneath a tree," he said. "They were in a safe spot away from the flames. Smoke engulfed the top level of our housing complex then the fire started spreading to lower levels and to the adjacent houses."

Piercing sirens were heard from the fire trucks which descended upon the scene. Their home did not succumb to flooding or high force winds. Instead, the loss came from a candle flame that ignited a top floor curtain burning not only a building, but families' essentials and several years' worth of belongings. A neighbor's cat was the single fatality in the accident and conditions were unequivocally altered for residents of the housing complex.

"Going back into the house was terrible because there was so much damage," he said. "There was water damage in the living room and bedrooms, and we had no clothes left."

Only able to retrieve the few items they were able to salvage, Guest and his wife were forced to move in with their in-laws nearby until the Federal Emergency Management Agency evaluated their losses. The ensuing aftermath was a mandate for Guest to realign his priorities. He was initially hesitant to leave home amidst the chaos and confusion citing concerns about leaving his wife to search for a new home while spending eight and a half weeks more than 1500 miles away, he said.

However, with the encouragement of his wife and support from Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Gentile and Tech. Sgt. Timothy Mullin, 514th Air Mobility Wing development and training flight instructors, he prevailed. Guest said he could not be deterred by distance and the prospect of uncertainty and was eventually able to reclaim his ambition and enthusiasm for an aspiration he's desired for years - a career in the Reserves.

"The members here were very empathetic to my situation," he said. "I was able to go to my instructors for assistance and they were very helpful with coordinating assistance through the family readiness center here which supplied me with canned goods, clothing and other resources I needed help getting access to."

A component of the recovery process required Guest to follow through with obligations to his family and the Reserves. His wife was an integral piece of that realization and an enforcer of his commitment.

"One of the many lessons I learned from my relationship with Julius is that you have to support the healthy, positive dreams," said Kathlyn. "Julius has always wanted to join the Reserves and I felt like I would be doing our relationship a great injustice by holding him back. Julius is my best friend, and when he is happy, I am happy."

Challenges brought on by the uncertainty of home conditions stayed with him in January of this year when he arrived in San Antonio and found himself immersed in an intimidating new world known as BMT. Even without the burden of starting a life from scratch, BMT can be daunting for any new trainee under the watchful eye of virulent military training instructors and unfamiliar situations, but the greatest hindrance was scarce communication and updates from home.

"I needed reassurance that I could make it through BMT but at the same time I had to stay positive for my family because my wife was still living with her mother, dealing with FEMA, working full-time, and trying to secure a new home for us," he said. "The distance was hard because I didn't want her to feel like she was neglected, but we both needed comforting during that time."

Although the anxiety of his absence brought worries, Kathlyn said she redirected her energy towards stabilizing the situation at home. In March, she moved into a three-bedroom home just five months after the storm, spending time organizing their possessions and decorating her canvass to prepare for her husband's return. She also continued working professionally as an international relations specialist with Credit Suisse. However, her emotional scars still needed nurturing after being temporarily separated from her husband and forever losing some of her most precious belongings.

"Coping was hard after the fire," she said. "In some ways, I'm still deeply affected. I panic if I smell an unfamiliar scent in the house or if I hear a fire truck nearby. But the humbling lesson from this experience was to appreciate life's treasures found in people and relationships. Realize how sudden your life and loved ones can be taken away from you and cherish the time you have with them."

In June, they were reunited when Guest returned from technical school, but the reunion was abbreviated once Guest subsequently began a three-month seasoning training obligation here. However, the devastating consequences of the most life-altering event either of them had endured brought the pair closer together and equipped them to face adversity in the future, said Guest.

"This ordeal was a learning experience for both of us," he said. "As soon as my wife found a new home, we immediately purchased renter's insurance, educated ourselves on fire prevention and home safety measures, and committed to save more money."

Guest and his wife bestow a great deal of credit toward their network of supportive family and friends, including service members here, who carried them through the roughest period of their lives. On the weekend of their first anniversary, they celebrated with dinner and a movie, capped off by a relaxing evening in their new home.

"We had a great double anniversary weekend," said Guest. "I hope going forward things only get better. We are still planning our honeymoon and hopefully, we can avoid any hurricanes."