JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Senior Airman Paul Kwakye, pronounced Kwa-Chay, is a busy Airman. In addition to his Reserve duty as a personnel specialist with the 514th Force Support Squadron, he is a trauma technician, a student, a husband, a father of five, and player on a semi-pro soccer team.
Kwakye balances it all with a smile on his face, because he enjoys all his roles and responsibilities and he’s understands how they all fit together. When it comes to making time-management decisions, he said he always considers the overall impact on the well-being of his family, and that’s precisely why he enlisted in the Reserve.
During his early 20s, he thought he was busy enough with college, work and a young family, but felt like something was still missing.
“It was always my dream to join the military,” Kwakye said.
It wasn’t until he was in his early 30s that he decided he was ready to pursue his dream.
“I wanted to set a good example for my kids,” he said. “If I could do it, then they could do it too.”
The example appears to be working as Kwakye said his oldest son is very interested in joining the military and is leaning toward serving in the Air Force Reserve like his father.
Kwakye also joined the Reserve to help advance his civilian healthcare career. He now works as a trauma technician at a Newark hospital, and he is studying toward becoming a physician assistant, so he was looking for a career field that would complement his pursuits. When he spoke with a Reserve recruiter, the medical units didn’t have available positions.
Kwakye said he didn’t lose interest when his job preferences weren’t available, and when he was offered a position in the Force Support Squadron, he saw it as a good opportunity to become more well-rounded by improving his customer service and administrative skills.
After returning from basic military training and technical training, Kwakye jumped into three months of seasoning training to get him comfortable with the people, policies and practices of his work center.
But getting comfortable wasn’t enough for Kwakye.
“My goal was to master everything in 90 days,” he said.
He proceeded to dive into his work in a manner that led his senior-ranking co-workers to take notice.
“He’s a highly motivated Airman who get things done,” said Master Sgt. Dwayne Gray, who helped train Kwakye. “He is amazing, and I am truly impressed.”
Kwakye said he likes his job because he learns so much about the Reserve while trying to help his customers. He even sees a silver lining to addressing the complaints of upset customers—it allows him to learn what is important to his fellow Airmen.
Gray said Kwakye demonstrates a selfless approach and a positive attitude to a job that at times can be thankless.
“He displays a strong personal commitment to our customers and wingmen,” Gray said. “He helps them before he helps himself.”
Kwakye said he knows that building a strong foundation of knowledge at the force support squadron will pay off later in his career.
“It’s more than just paperwork,” he said. “There’s so much more going on behind the scenes.”
While he does enjoy the job, he still has interest in joining one of the wing’s medical units and is especially intrigued by the aeromedical evacuation mission.
Despite his many responsibilities, Kwakye did not hesitate to accept an invitation to join the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst soccer club, a semi-pro team made up of military members from all service branches. The team is currently among the New Jersey Soccer League’s top teams, and Kwakye is one of the most talented players, even though he hadn’t played organized soccer for more than a decade.
He said he was able to fit his commitment to the team into his busy schedule because he sees it as complementing the other aspects of his life. His wife and children support him by attending games, so it hasn’t taken away from his family time. It also provides a good workout, so it helps with his Air Force physical training requirements. Furthermore, he meets a lot of other service members, so it’s good for networking and mentoring, both of which can have a positive impact on his military career.
With so much going on, it wouldn’t be unfair to assume Kwakye is spread a little too thin, but his co-workers don’t seem to think so.
“He is never burned out and is always looking for the next challenge,” Gray said. “When I think of his schedule, I only can say that he’s outstanding.”