The Airman and the refugee
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Bryan Arias-Mejia, 91st Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, stands for a photo at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, Oct. 11, 2023. Arias-Mejia performed air refueling duties during Operation Allies Refuge, the largest non-combatant evacuation operation in American history. While providing aid to Afghan refugees at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Arias-Mejia witnessed first-hand the emotional toll of losing one’s home and was able to better connect with his father who was a refugee during the Salvadoran Civil War. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Hastings)