Candidate: Daren Abad

Military Status: Active Duty

Rank: A1C

Why do I want to be a PJ?

One question that many people ask me, from coworkers to family members and friends, is this: Why do you want to be a Pararescueman? To be a PJ, one has to have the heart of a servant. The creed states, "before personal desires and comforts." To me, what this means is that I will stop at nothing to guarantee the preservation of another life, even before my own. Pure intentions, integrity, and discipline are all the qualities of a PJ. What is the outcome for me? It means that I will become a saviour. I hold within me feelings of great respect for pararescuemen, and therefore, I will stop at nothing until I become a PJ.

To begin my journey from where I am, I openly admit that I do not know if I maintain any of these qualities myself. I do not see the struggle of war, I do not know the true meaning of sacrifice, and I do not know what the heart of a servant is like.

No, but I believe that I have what it takes. I possess the qualities necessary to succeed as a PJ, and that's what's most important. I know deeply that the people I admire the most have helped shape my life, making me understand that I want to become a PJ. Passion drives me day in and day out. I will train and push myself to achieve that goal because I am truly dedicated to living that lifestyle.

I look to idols like Brian Silva, Mike Maroney, Jocko Willink, and Tim Kennedy for knowledge, wisdom, and guidance. I will go day in and day out, craving to help ease the burden of war and to provide assistance in the preservation of life because all of life is valuable, and I want to defend the honour of my country.

The reason for my dream runs deep; I was blessed to witness firsthand what a second chance in life looks like. My sister was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of three. I didn't fully understand the situation when it first happened. I was no more than three years old, and I did not understand what it meant.

As I grew older, I understood that life was not guaranteed for her the way it always had been for me. This knowledge that I am giving you brings an ache to my heart, a pain so intense that even now the tears well in my eyes. To receive news of a family member developing a terminal illness is life-changing and heartbreaking. Through medicine, my sister received a second chance as she went into remission. That second chance was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.

It was a second chance that manifested into many beautiful things that we never expected but only hoped for, and sure enough, it felt like a miracle. That second chance was her first day of high school. Her first prom. Her first day at Six Flags. Her first car. Her first job. It just kept coming as she continued to live. Understanding that all this had not been possible without the hard work that those doctors provided. This is something that still grips me. Because of them, she was given a chance to keep living! That means something to me!

In EVERY way, a PJ provides the same gift. Every soldier, civilian, and even foreigner is provided a second chance the minute a PJ arrives. With proper training and hard work, a Pj helps contribute to the possibility that a patient may receive the same chance my sister did. You give that patient's family members the same chance those doctors gave. An opportunity to see someone experience life again. A chance for them to keep living. So for me, it’s a concise and straightforward answer. Why do I want to be a PJ? So that I can help others live and thrive, too!