Flying in Her Mother’s Flight Path

As the call to military service is answered by high school seniors all across the country, here in Georgia, that call often runs in the blood. For Trion High School senior Amber Jay Kendrick, the urge to pursue a military tour of service after graduation was intensely personal and was seen as the spring board to launch her future. “I joined because it felt like the right thing to do and it sets me on path for a successful future,” Amber said.

Amber’s mom, Angela, served in the United States Air Force for just over five years while her sister, Monica Kendrick, is currently in the Army. Amber is scheduled to depart for basic training in July and be stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX.

Her mother points out that Amber may have always been destined to be a part of the Air Force, her first four years of life were on an Air Force base. However, after an early delivery at just 29 weeks, Amber was barely three pounds and her mother was just happy to have a healthy child; she never really expected her to join. “She had been a dual-enrollment student for a couple of years and she could have gotten her associates degree while still in high school,” said Angela, “but last October she decided that she really didn’t want to go to college anymore. That she was burnt out.” Angela knew that Amber had many options to pursue and had long planned on attending Georgia Tech “to be an aerospace engineer.” It wasn’t until she saw an Air Force commercial that Amber began to consider the career opportunities offered through the military. “The commercial was showing a lot of the careers you could have through the Air Force and one was of a female Aerospace Engineer,” said Angela, “next thing I know she was sitting down and asking serious questions about it.”

For Amber, her first visit to a recruiter in Chattanooga opened many doors and answered many questions and, for the senior who found herself like so many others, unsure of the future ahead, the call to service was a solid choice. Mother Angela is nearly as excited as Amber herself, “She has a good head on her shoulders, and this is about her future now. I’m so very proud of her for choosing a life of service. It was life changing for me. Now it’s time for her adventure.”

Amber is an Honor Graduate from Trion High School who has accumulated over 50 hours of college credit. She is currently in preparation for basic training, doing physical training with her recruiter and additionally with her mom. She spends time training on her own and has set a few clear goals for her future. “My goals are to make my parents and myself proud,” said Amber. The history of service to her country runs deep in her blood and Amber wants to make a difference far beyond the borders of her small textile mill town. “I really just want to have an impact on the world.” Her family and friends feel she is well on her way to doing just that.

Her parents are Angela Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick.