And when Nicole Vandall heard last month that her sister Kayla had been diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma, she wasn't going to let that get in the way of the teen's dream.
When Vandall, stationed at Fort Greely, told her commanders about the situation, they jumped at the chance to make Kayla a soldier for a day. Vandall initially made the trip sound like it would be a normal family visit in order to surprise Kayla. After getting the OK from her doctor, the Burnham, Penn., high school student and her mother, Deborah Platzer, flew 4,000 miles to Alaska for the surprise.
"I told her she was going to be my secretary for the day," Vandall said. "She thought she was going to run back and forth to the copier."
What "Corporal" Kayla found instead was the ultimate Army experience. She was given a set of fatigues with her name on them, she practiced physical training in the morning and got to shoot an M4 carbine.
"She's a good shot," said Vandall's husband, Dean.
Kayla, who is undergoing chemotherapy, tied an Army T-shirt around her head for her day in the Army. Several other female soldiers, including Vandall, did the same.
"They really care about me. I'm honored," Kayla said.
"It's just amazing how so many people go through so much effort for someone from 4,000 miles away," added Platzer.
After Fort Greely soldiers took Kayla for a ride in a Humvee and let her try a ravioli MRE -- obviously not her favorite part of the trip -- four soldiers from Fort Wainwright's Task Force 49 flew to Greely to give her one more unforgettable experience, a ride in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
Spc. Jeffery Slaughter hooked Kayla up to a special harness and held her hand as she sat in the back of the Chinook, her feet hanging off the edge as the chopper flew over mountains and Trident Glacier near Delta Junction. The soft-spoken teen was all smiles as she took in the views.
"That was the greatest thing I've ever done," Kayla said afterward. "It was scary, but it was fun."
On Tuesday, Kayla and her mother were scheduled to return to Pennsylvania to continue treatment. Her mom said Kayla gets sick from the chemotherapy and sometimes they spend days at a time in the hospital, but her prognosis is good. Even if it is discovered in its later stages, Hodgkin's lymphoma has a high cure rate.
"It looks good, but it gets worse before it gets better," Deborah Platzer said.
Before they headed out, Lt. Col Kelly J. Peitz, commander of Fort Wainwright's 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, gave them several items to remember the experience by, including a 1-52nd fleece and a battalion coin. Kayla received a flight helmet signed by the flight crew, though it was a little small for her.
"Hang in there," Peitz said as he presented the items to Kayla. "You've got an awesome determination. I can just tell by your smile."
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