Holloman Airman saves five lives while on leave

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Corinna Sanabia
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  

In pursuit of a mission to make the world a better place, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Garret Glore enlisted in the U.S. Air Force with a clear purpose: save lives and combat evil. Despite encountering multiple setbacks in his Air Force career, Glore's unwavering character and ambition to prioritize others have remained constant.

"My goals in joining the Air Force were simple: uplift those around me and be the best teammate I can be," said Glore. "The better I am, the more I can help the people around me."

Initially joining as a special warfare Airman, he aspired to engage in life-saving missions daily. However, unforeseen obstacles led him to drop out of the training. Despite this setback, he embraced his reassignment as a 314th Fighter Squadron aircraft resource manager here at Holloman.

Glore applied the lessons from special warfare training to fuel his drive to excel and assist those around him.

"In the Special Warfare pipeline, you fail every day,” he said. “There were times when we were moving for days at a time with no sleep. In those moments, I knew quitting was not an option. I learned that when you get knocked down, it’s about getting back up and fighting with everything you've got. This lesson helped me grow and persevere through difficult times."

Airman Glore's resilience translated into a passion for contributing to the essential mission at Holloman.

"I have a lot of people depending on me," he said. "Keeping aircrew up to date on training and medical ensures our pilots and sensor operators are flying and on track to become combat aircrew."

His dedication to helping others also extends beyond duty hours. While on leave in California, Glore’s quick thinking and selfless actions saved the lives of multiple people he had never met before.

"Glore was instrumental in saving five lives in his off-duty time, swimming over 3,500 meters to rescue two individuals swept out to sea, triaging a homeless man suffering from an overdose, and responding to a vehicle rollover while facing oncoming traffic," said U.S. Air Force Lt Col James Hayward, 314th FS commander.

Glore's acts of bravery didn't go unnoticed; he received the Air Education and Training Command 2023 United Service Organizations Service Member of the Year Award for the Air Force, which recognizes service members for performing extraordinary acts of bravery that exemplify the values of their respective branches.

"These events have given me the mindset to put other people’s needs ahead of my own," said Glore. "If someone is in need, I will do anything and everything in my power to help them, even if it puts my life at risk."