Senior Airman Patrick Ikua who serves in the US Army with the 910th Logistics Readiness Squadron, previously shared how his life took a positive trajectory when he was enrolled in the American military.
Growing up in Kenya, Patrick witnessed lots of atrocities such as poverty, terrorist attacks, and political strife. It wasn’t easy growing up in a developing nation
At 17, Patrick Ikua had his first encounter with US Air Force members visiting his village to train in disaster management amid terrorism threats.
“I felt I wanted to be like them one day. The support the Air Force gives to other countries, enabling change within them, inspired me a lot. I wanted to be part of an organization that brings change to humanity,” he said in a past interview.
In addition to the US Air Force training, their military base in Kenya always remained vigilant and ready to act whenever there was political instability or terrorist activity in the country. This inspired Ikua to join them one day.
“Every now and then you get to see them helping out in times of terrorism, trying to prevent terrorism and that makes me feel like the impact they have on the universe, not just the U.S. They are not just fighting terrorism in their own countries, but countries like Kenya as well.”
And so, Ikua’s application journey for a better life in the US Military started. It wasn’t a walk in the park. His emigration required tons of paperwork, security and background checks. It took him nearly two years before he finally got accepted.
“There were times I almost wanted to give up and was second-guessing my decisions,” he recalled.
Ikua recalled finding strength in his recruiter, Master Sergeant Jason Corradi who also came from a tough neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio.
Corradi understood Ikua’s desire to join the U.S. Army. Corradi saw a lot of himself in Patrick Ikua, as they both believed the military could offer a way out of life’s tough situations.
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“He kept me close and called me frequently. This gentleman cares a lot about me. He made me feel like this is the place I want to be, a place where people care. I was never just a number to him,” he said.
After arriving in America, Ikua served as a US citizen in the Air Force with the 910th LRS. He also chose to pursue two career paths; a nursing degree program while also working as a vehicle maintainer for the Squadron based at Youngstown Air Reserve.
“I am pursuing a degree in nursing. I had taken my son to the hospital and was touched by the care the nurses were giving him. I decided I would like to do the same for somebody else. I want to help someone else and help my son,” he said.
“If you need a mechanic, you have one, and if you need a nurse, you have one as well…I can help people in more ways than one.”
Patrick Ikua shared that in the US, he has experienced freedoms he never would have had in Kenya. He also appreciates the countless opportunities that come with living in the ‘land of milk and honey’.
“I’m able to take the opportunity and if I work hard, I will see the positive outcome of it. As opposed to in Kenya, one might work extremely hard and not see anything from it. That is real freedom of opportunity I enjoy here in the US,” he maintained.
