JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Dreams are fought for. They are never easy to achieve. They require hard work, unwavering willpower and sacrifice.
Ambition to conquer a goal led Lt. Col James Crum’s 15-year old daughter, Kammie, to strive for a career in dance after her father achieved his childhood dream of becoming a pilot.
When Crum, 99th Airlift Squadron pilot and director of training, enlisted in the Air Force following high school in 1994 as an aircraft hydraulics systems specialist and crew chief, his ultimate goal continued within him.
For Crum, joining the Air Force was a way to serve his country, become independent and achieve a higher education. Eventually, Crum made the decision to transfer to the Air National Guard.
By transitioning to the ANG, Crum was able to complete an Air Force ROTC commissioning program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and finally enter pilot training, all while being a husband and father of four daughters.
While Crum took steps toward his dream of becoming a pilot, his youngest daughter, Kammie was just beginning to form her own.
“I’ve been in love with dance ever since my parents took me to my first dance studio when I was 2 years old,” Kammie said.
From tap and ballet to hip-hop and jazz, Kammie enjoyed many different styles of dancing. Crum exclaimed that although all of his daughters had been introduced to dancing, Kammie showed the most enthusiasm and promise. What started simply as a means for his daughter to explore the world around her, eventually turned into competition as Kammie strived to learn and grow as a performer.
The first year Kammie ever competed in tap-dancing, she and her team won a national championship.
“After she won, Kammie came up to us and said that dancing is what she wants to do as a career,” Crum said.
The Crum family rallied behind her to support her dream to dance in any way they could. With their support, Kammie has led a very successful career in dance, becoming an American Tap Company gold medalist, an International Dance Organization World Tap Dance Competition dual gold and bronze medalist, and an American Tap Company performer at President Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities.
Kammie’s talent eventually led her to audition for a summer intensive course at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. When she was accepted into the summer program, it presented a unique opportunity for Kammie to train and elevate her talent in a way that wouldn’t be available to her otherwise.
Pursuing such ambitions meant that both Kammie and her family had to make sacrifices so she could follow her dream.
“Even though Kammie has been awarded scholarships while attending the school, it’s still very expensive,” Crum said. “We talked to all of our kids beforehand and told them that we’re going to have to make some sacrifices. We’re not going to be able to do things we might want to do all the time. And when we asked them if everyone is OK with that, we got a resounding ‘yes!’ If she has an opportunity, then we’ll support in any way we can.”
What was even harder for his family to deal with, was sending their 15-year-old daughter to go live in the biggest city in the country without them.
In addition to attending the institute during the day, Kammie also has to complete her online high school courses at night. Kammie said that the stressors that come with being on your own can feel overwhelming at times.
“When you’re thrown into a situation where you have to grow up and do everything that’s required of you or else you’ll fail, you aren’t really left with much of a choice but to succeed,” Kammie said. “I think that I’ve been able to deal with the challenges I’ve faced while pursuing my dream because of my parents. They’ve taught me how to face any obstacles that may get in my way.”
Although Crum accomplished his dream of becoming a pilot, his challenges have not entirely gone away. As part of the 99th AS, his duty of executing missions that directly support the President, Vice President and other domestic and foreign senior diplomats is an enormous responsibility, coupled with complexity and high visibility.
“I'm able to handle these challenges by ensuring I maintain a clear focus on the task at hand and eliminate distractors,” Crum said. “This is done by ensuring I stay on top of the job knowledge, making sure my family life is taken care of and leaning on others when needed.”
The Air Force equips every Airman with the tools of resiliency. Learning how to best move past daily or long-term challenges can foster mental, physical, social and spiritual fitness. Fortunately, these tools that Airmen receive are free to share with anyone, including their families.
“I try to instill my children that they have to overcome any obstacle in front of them,” Crum said. “They have to be able to adapt and overcome.”
Although his children learned the values of resiliency from him, he has also been inspired from their triumphs over life’s obstacles.
“Kammie is phenomenal,” Crum said. “She inspires me with her mental toughness and resolve. When things get overwhelming, she is able to take a step back, get that clear mental focus of what task is most important, tackle it, and move on to the next one. She has yet to meet a challenge that has stopped her.”
A dream plus resolve will lead to success. Whether it’s Crum achieving his dream of becoming a pilot, or Kammie realizing her goal of having a career in dance, staying resilient in a pursuit is the only reliable way of reaching your goal.