DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware -- Dover Air Force Base, Del. – Like any other mission in the Air Force, each member assigned to Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations plays a specific role in order for the mission to succeed.
Staff Sgt. Zamiyah Warner is a reservist assigned to the 512th Memorial Affairs Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. As a an Airman deployed to AFMAO, Staff Sgt. Warner, who works as a departures specialist, said she appreciates how the small things all come together to complete the mission.
"Everybody has a part in the mission," Warner said. "When we do little things, someone does something small over here and another person does something small over there, and eventually those things add up to make the mission happen."
During her time at AFMAO, Warner has had experience in both the uniforms and departures sections, and has established herself as a leader among her peers. She helps train her fellow Airmen on different tasks, and is a lead door marshal as well as a member of the Advance Echelon team.
“Being more involved in different things that lead up to the big picture makes me realize that everything is done for a reason,” said Warner.
Warner has built a reputation of dependability and leadership amongst those she works around. Senior Master Sgt. Shonta Simes, AFMAO’s Operations Support superintendent said Warner was the epitome of professionalism in her deployment journey.
“Warner brings a wealth of leadership and knowledge from the 512th Memorial Affairs Squadron,” said Simes. “She is someone who the Airmen feel comfortable talking to and lends great feedback.”
Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations is a highly trained and resilient total force team of professionals capable of fulfilling our nation’s sacred commitment of ensuring dignity, honor, and respect to fallen service members while providing care, service, and support to their families across the DoD enterprise.
Warner said she recognized AFMAO was very different from any other unit.
"The leadership is so different,” she said. “You can tell they care about us and they love the mission. I remember one time at roll call I looked across the room and everyone was smiling – big smiles too. You can tell who wants to be here and it helps the people that are underneath because it makes us look forward to coming to work not only to do the mission, but to work alongside people who love what they do and they care about who they're around."