Siblings in service: Brother, sister serve together at Buckley

Published July 14, 2014
By Airman Emily E. Amyotte
460th Space Wing Public Affairs

BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo -- When siblings join the Air Force, many are sent off to different locations, go their separate ways and might only expect to see each other during the holidays.

But Airman 1st Class Jasmine Crump, 566th Intelligence Squadron network intelligence analyst, and Airman 1st Class Daniel Crump, 460th Operations Group data systems operator, have found that the Air Force has kept them together.

Jasmine was the first to arrive at Buckley in 2013, landing her only stateside choice on her assignment preference sheet. She is thankful to have ended up at Buckley, she said.
Her brother wasn't too far behind. Just a year later, Daniel got the word that he would soon be following in his older sister's footsteps.

"He followed me here," Jasmine joked. "I just wanted my own state; I couldn't even have that."

Neither had any idea they would be stationed together, but it's turned out to be not such a bad thing, they agreed.

"I thought it was going to be annoying at first," Jasmine said, "but actually it's nice. If I need something I can be like, 'Hey, go get this for me,' or 'Come pick me up.' Family is more reliable than friends sometimes."

After sharing the base for awhile, the Crumps have learned there are many more upsides to living on base together than there are downsides.

It's convenient to have his sister live on base, Daniel said. He's thankful that before arriving he knew someone who had already been here a year, and his sister agreed.

"It's nice to have him here ... I can keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't ruin my name," she teased.

The Crumps, natives of Navarre, Florida, agreed that already knowing somebody, always having someone to spend time with and even making family vacations easier are all up-sides to being stationed together.

"Our mom said it gives her peace of mind knowing that we're in the same area," the older sister explained. "She's really proud of our choice to join the Air Force. She misses us, but she's proud."

Of course, the brother-sister rivalry still exists, and both brother and sister joke about whom will win the race up the rank ladder.

"Regardless, she's going to put on senior airman before me," Daniel laughs. "Staff (sergeant) will probably be the one with the rivalry, whoever hits that one first."

Both siblings plan to make the military their career. Regardless of where the Air Force takes them, they're glad that they had the chance to serve at their first base together - as Airmen and as family.