Airman 1st Class Michael Claus

Rank and name: Airman 1st Class Michael Claus Duty Title/Unit: Missile Maintenance Technician, 705 Muns Hometown: Midlothian, Texas “I’m an Airman 1st Class and I play a big part in the Air Force mission from my perspective… For me, being a part of the nuclear mission is an amazing feeling given the fact that we are the not (only) deterring for our nation, but the entire globe. Hearing other nations talk about the caliber of our deterrent force and highlighting the fact that we have enlisted members working on nuclear weapons, gives me a sense of pride. How many people in the world can say that there are 21 years old and working directly with a key component of the nuclear triad? I’m a lot further away from home than my parents expected me to be. When I first joined the military, I thought I would be assigned much closer to home, but it’s all working out now. My parents still push me and provide the biggest support for me. My Mom will give me those small pushes when I need them; that could be a simple phone call, but they come when I need them most. Being that our mission is important, I can say that her push is a behind-the-scenes push protecting America.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Brandon Shapiro)