STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. -- After participating in JROTC throughout high school and watching her sister serve in the U.S. Army, Jazmin Guzman Pacheco knew she wanted to enlist in the military when she was old enough.
On her 17th birthday, the first day she was allowed to enlist in the military, Guzman made her way to the 105th Airlift Wing’s recruiting office and enlisted in the New York Air National Guard here at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York.
Now known as Senior Airman Jazmin Guzman Pacheco, 105th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, she is considered an outstanding Airman and superior performer within her squadron.
“SrA Guzman is an exceptional Airman whose technical mastery, leadership and problem-solving skills far exceed her job description,” said Senior Master Sgt. William Alvarado, 105 OSS senior enlisted leader. “She ensures aircrew safety and has been instrumental in resolving critical institutional issues.”
After enlisting in November 2022, Guzman attended drill weekends as part of the student flight before going to basic miliary training and technical training from April to August 2023. From there, she found any reason she could to work with her unit on full-time orders, such as picking up training days or making up missed drills from her time away. Then, in the spring of 2025, Guzman began a permanent federal technician position in the 105th OSS.
Guzman expressed that starting her full-time position in the squadron made her realize she had been missing that aspect in her life.
In her role, Guzman inspects, maintains and supplies essential equipment to the aircrew who operate and work on the wing’s nine C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. Some of that equipment is more standard for everyday mission use, such as helmets or night vision goggles, but she also makes sure flight and safety equipment is in proper working order for emergencies, like life rafts or various types of safety tools for oxygen supply.
For the contributions and expertise she brings to her role in the 105th OSS, Guzman was awarded Airman of the Quarter, once in 2024 and once in 2025, for the 105th Operations Group.
Another part of Guzman’s job is to instruct aircrew about Aircrew Flight Equipment’s operations and equipment usage.
She is also an Air National Guard instructor, certified through the ANG’s Foundations Instructor Course at Mcghee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee, and is currently qualified to teach two courses, Introductory AFE Familiarization and AFE Equipment Familiarization. In these courses, she educates aircrew on different aspects of her unit’s operations, equipment handling and more. She is working toward becoming qualified to instruct more courses as well.
Airmen typically don’t become instructors until they achieve their 7-level, a skill training level reached when Airmen become staff sergeants. However, Guzman showed the maturity and capability to become an instructor a rank and skill-level early, according to Alvarado.
Guzman says she enjoys this part of her job because of the interactions she gets to have with aircrew, and she also enjoys serving in the ANG because of the relationships she has made.
“Serving in the Air National Guard I think is like having a second family,” said Guzman. “They have been very welcoming. I really just enjoy the family dynamic that we have, especially in our shop.”
Guzman is currently working toward earning her bachelor’s in healthcare administration. Then she plans on perusing becoming a commissioned officer and continuing her service in the NYANG as a pilot or a healthcare administrator, she said.