U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Faith Xiongblaxang joined the 133rd Airlift Wing at the age of 38, fulfilling a dream she once set aside. Following Sept. 11, 2001, she initially enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard but withdrew due to cultural and family pressures. Now a wife and mother of five, she joined the Air National Guard, driven by resilience and a renewed purpose.
“Telling my husband about joining the military was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had to do,” said Xiongblaxang. “Due to cultural norms, I knew that my husband wasn’t going to be supportive of me pursuing a military career. It [was] clear to my husband and children just how much this journey meant to me. [Now] my husband, who once hesitated, tells people about me all the time, and my kids see me as an inspiration.”
Completing basic training in her late 30s, she emerged physically and mentally transformed. Despite initial fears about her age, performance, and acceptance, she exceeded expectations and found a renewed sense of confidence. Her journey is not only inspirational but also challenges conventional beliefs within the Hmong community about gender roles, age, and personal ambition.
“As a wife and a mother, stepping outside of our cultural norms to pursue something so ambitious felt strange and risky,” said Xiongblaxang. “I feared that I might be too old and wouldn’t pass the physical tests. I doubted whether I was smart enough to pass the written exams required during training. I worked twice as hard as the younger women. Knowing that my age might be a disadvantage, I put in extra effort during exercise sessions. To my surprise, I surpassed many teenagers in physical performance and even earned awards and recognition for it.”
Xiongblaxang currently serves as an Engineering Specialist with the 210th Engineering Squadron where she performs civil engineering design, drafting, surveying, and contract surveillance to support communication infrastructure.
“Age is just a number, and it’s never too late to pursue a new dream,” said Xiongblaxang. “Life doesn’t stop at 40; in fact, it can be the beginning of something incredible. You’ll discover that there’s so much more to achieve and enjoy, no matter your age.”