Airman exemplifies 'service before self'

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amber Carter
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Senior Airman Cinnamon Kava, 60th Logistics Readiness Squadron decentralized support, is a champion on the basketball court and off.

Kava has competed in basketball for most of her life and was selected to represent the Air Force internationally on the U.S. Armed Forces Women's basketball team in 2015. The team beat France, 78-41, on July 4, to win a bronze medal in the first Conseil International du Sport Militaire Women's World Basketball Championship held in France.

"Since the Armed Forces Championship in France last year, I have been continuing to play basketball to stay in 'basketball shape,' " Kava said. "The all-armed forces tournament is going to be in June this year. I was set to attend the tournament, then I got tasked for a deployment."

Kava will represent her Travis LRS team in Kuwait this summer and views the deployment as an assist instead of a blocked shot.

"I have been given so many opportunities and so much support by my leadership that I am grateful to be an example of how the mission comes first and being able to give back for all the things that I have been allowed to do," Kava said. "Basketball will always be there but duty calls."

Her job as decentralized support involves sourcing mission-capable assets, which are high priority aircraft parts.

"We locate them and pull them from other bases so the asset can get here as fast as possible," Kava said. "We support maintenance and get them what they need to keep the aircraft ready to fly at all times."

Basketball has directly affected her life in many ways.

"The type of competition that basketball has given me impacts my daily life and my work life in a positive way," she said. "There is a direct correlation to on the court competition and off the court competition. I am so competitive in nature that I want to excel in everything I do.

"If I set a goal for myself, I have to do it. If I start something, I have to finish it. If someone asks me to do something, I want to be the person to step up. I have a strong work ethic and a great concept of teamwork that I think has derived from playing competitive sports."

A major concept gained from playing ball is setting goals and working hard to achieve them. Kava recently completed the requirements for her Community College of the Air Force degree and is on a full-court sprint toward accomplishing her next challenge.

"As far as my future goals, I plan on making staff this year, tackling this deployment and submitting an Officer Training School package when I return," she said. "I am having a blast, meeting great people and continuing to learn as much as I can."

Kava's leadership encourage her by being her biggest fans.

"I am proud to see my troop shine," said Staff Sgt. Birce Miller, 60th LRS decentralized supply support supervisor. "She is our basketball star in the squadron and her passion for her work is extraordinary. She sets high standards and goes beyond to complete the mission."