SSgt. Anthony Rafael returns home after a deployment in Qatar
A little bit of rain wasn’t going to stop the Rafael family from welcoming home their airman from a tour in the Middle East on Sept. 8.
Anthony Rafael is a staff sergeant in the Air Force where he is a member of Security Forces, the Air Force police. As a student at Williamstown High School, Rafael was a four-year member of the ROTC program. Rafael graduated from WHS in 2011.
“It’s an elective, I did it for four years,” Rafael said. “With most ROTC programs you do three or four years. After three years, you can join every military branch except the Marines as an E-3. It helps progress your rank before you get in.”
Since enlisting, Rafael has done two tours in the Middle East. In 2014, he was stationed in Saudi Arabia where he provided security. Most recently he was in Qatar.
“Qatar is one of the main hubs of the Middle East,” he said. “We have a mission with an impact on Operation Enduring Freedom.”
With two tours in the Middle East under his belt, Anthony’s mother, Monica, planned something special for her son. A phone call to Operation Yellow Ribbon of South Jersey was all it took to plan a surprise homecoming parade for her son.
“I can say how proud I am every day,” Monica said. “This will really show how proud I am. Not just of him, anyone who served before, during or after him.”
OYRSJ works hand-in-hand with the Warriors’ Watch Riders, a motorcycle group that escorts military members in their homecoming parade. OYRSJ decorates the military member’s streets with American flags and yellow ribbons to surprise the military member when they pull up to their house.
David Silver, president of OYRSJ, believes welcoming military members home is of the utmost importance.
“A generation ago, for whatever political reasons were happening in our country, servicemen were following orders and going to Vietnam. When they returned they were spit on,” Silver said. “We use the freedom our service members give us to make sure our brave men and women are welcomed back in proper fashion.”
OYRSJ orchestrates between 40 and 50 welcome home parades annually.
At the end of the day, Monica planned the event to surprise her son and give him the welcome home he deserved.
“My son worked very hard to get into the Air Force,” she said. “It took him over a year to get in.”
Anthony’s original recruiter was discharged from the Air Force. He had to drive to Northfield to see a different recruiter. In basic training, he led his platoon and was in the front line when they did their airman’s run, Monica said.
“I want to thank my son for all the hard work he’s done. We’re proud of him,” she said.
Anthony intends to re-sign and make the Air Force his career. He’s currently stationed in Tampa, Fla., at MacDill Air Force Base.
For more information about OYRSJ, visit OperationYellowRibbonSouthJersey.org.
