Rydelle Nelson spent 6 years in the U.S. Air Force, with deployments across the globe. Rydelle's service ran the gamut, from 15 months in the desert in support of the GWOT, to Korea (where he had to navigate a frozen hill in the middle of the night to the chow hall-not always successfully) to Key West working on drug and human trafficking interdiction in the Caribbean. Along the way, he took advantage of his leave and visited dozens of countries. Currently completing training to obtain his pilot's license, Rydelle plans on reenlisting in the Reserves or National Guard. Rydelle speaks movingly about what his service meant to him, the friendships he made with fellow service-members and how it expanded his view of the world, America and his place in it.
You can follow Rydelle's journey on Instagram: @what_it_is_rydelle