JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Enlisting in the military is often a family decision, but one married couple took that a step further – enlisting together in two separate services.
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Dylan Green and U.S. Space Force Specialist 3 Danielle Green were high school students when they met on a 24-hour flight to the Philippines for missionary work. Their connection was instant.
Both Dylan, 20, and Danielle, 21, volunteered at an orphanage, providing mentorship to students in academics, career counseling and fellowship.
After four years of dating, they married in 2020.
‘’We were high school sweethearts even though we didn’t attend the same school,” Danielle said. ‘’We always planned to get married.”
While attending the College of Dupage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Dylan, who was also an Air Force ROTC cadet, decided enlisting was his best option.
“Pursuit of higher education, career experience and stability is what I was looking for,” Dylan said. “Those opportunities are simply not available right now in the civilian sector.”
Dylan’s decision to enlist in the military took Danielle by surprise at first.
“I was confused and completely shocked on his decision,” Danielle said. “I would have never considered the military at all. I didn’t have the most positive reaction at first.”
However, after Danielle’s initial visit with Dylan to the recruiter’s office in October, she started to research what the Air Force had to offer.
“I realized that the Air Force was pretty great,” Danielle said. “However, to be able to experience basic training together, I accepted my third job choice and enlisted into the Space Force position.”
“We feel very fortunate to have been able to attend BMT together and we will be located at the same duty assignment while at technical training,” Dylan said.
Dylan and Danielle are attending technical school at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas – Dylan as a Fusion Analyst Specialist and Danielle as an Operations Intelligence Specialist.