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My name is Sarah Blanchette and I am an Air Force veteran living in south Florida.  I am originally from Massachusetts and was stationed in Warner Robins Georgia before moving further south.  I have a wonderfully talented and beyond smart thirteen year old who is a mini me.  I watched the twin towers fall on 9/11 and decided then and there that I was going to join the military and do my part.  After high school, I tried college for a year and decided to drop out and join.  I originally wanted to join the Marines but my dad (marine) said absolutely not.  He said Navy or Air Force and since I hate boats, I chose the Air Force as a Security Forces member.  I thrived in basic and tech school and shortly found myself in middle Georgia patrolling the base and training.  I was chosen to a speciality training which was not like regular Security Forces training.  It included S.E.R.E training and all but a few days of RAVEN school.  It was extremely challenging but I knew I could do it.  I deployed shortly after to Kuwait and flew on over 100 missions on C-130s all over.  Sixteen countries to be exact.  I spent a lot of time in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa.  When I returned to Georgia I heard rumors about a dangerous deployment working with Air Force Office of Special Investigations and Army Criminal Investigation Division.  I needed to get on this deployment.  After another long round of training at Ft. Dix, I found myself in Kirkuk Iraq leading my teams convoy through Iraq.  A lot happened that deployment that would change my life forever.  Let’s skip the boring details.  At one point towards the end of that deployment, I got injured.  My foot was destroyed.  I had many many surgeries to try and fix it over the course of 10 years.  There went my mental health.  Not only was I suffering from PTSD, but also chronic pain, fatigue and depression.  In 2019 I was offered a final surgery.  Amputation below the knee.  It was the answer to many of my problems.  I worked out every single day to prepare my body for what was about to happen.  Two weeks of rehab, then five and a half weeks later after stitches came out, I was casted for my first prosthesis.  It has been almost 5 years and I have come a long way.  I now compete in Patriot Games, paddle board, hike and about 100 other things people said I would never do.  I joined up with Rescue 22 after receiving a service dog from the organization and I have never looked back.  I have met the most incredible humans on the planet and just want to continue to do good in this world and give back to as many as I can.  Sometimes we just need a hand up, not a hand out and I look forward to many other opportunities to show others the kindness I have been shown.