For some veterans, commitment to service doesn’t end when their military careers do.
Two Houston area veterans continue to serve here at home as members of Memorial Hermann Life Flight, saving lives and making a difference in the Houston community.
KPRC 2’s Sofia Ojeda shares their stories and what Veteran’s Day means to them.
From the battlefield to the skies over Houston, these Life Flight crew members share more than a passion for their jobs.
They share a military background and a commitment to something bigger than themselves.
“Honestly, it comes down to this code of honor that I think veterans have and they possess. You feel this obligation to duty to serve a cause that’s bigger than yourself. We get to carry that here with us,” says Memorial Hermann Life Flight Chief Pilot, Jason Blevins.
Jason Blevins spent twenty-five years in the U.S. Army as a black hawk pilot and retired as a colonel.
Jonathan Hampton spent his career as a Marine Corps infantryman where learning combat lifesaving skills sparked an interest in medicine.
They both take to the skies when Houstonians’ lives are on the line.
“It requires a high level of skill and dedication. And I think honestly that’s what draws a lot of veterans to a service like Life Flight. It’s not easy. There is a challenge but it’s also intensely rewarding and you’re also working with people that have a similar mindset to you,” says Memorial Hermann Life Flight nurse, Jonathan Hampton.
For both, the transition from military service to Life Flight was a natural fit.
The teamwork, intense training and shared mission reminds them of what they value most in the military.
“I think being a veteran and working for an organization like Life Flight, many times it is challenging to kind of find your niche when you come out of the military and working with an organization like Life Flight kind of helps fill that void and everything that we do is a reflection not just on who we are now but where we come from,” adds Hampton.
And on this Veteran’s Day, they take with them the memories, the lessons, and experience from their service and remember and honor all those who have served.
“I applaud those veterans’ past, present, future. I know what they’re going through. I know what their families are going through. Veterans Day is not an individual day. It is a community day. And please thank all those veterans. Thank their families. Everybody has leaned into that sacrifice and accepted it,” says Blevins.
