Humans of Scott: Called to serve, Staff Sgt. Erika Kitchen

Published May 19, 2026
By Christine Spargur
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- It’s all in the family for Staff Sgt. Erika Kitchen, lead dispatcher for the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department. Her father served in the Air Force in what was then Security Police. Her great-uncles have served in the military. She has cousins who have served and are serving now.

“Our family has every branch covered — Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines,” said Kitchen, “except for Space Force and that’s only because of how new it is. I’m not even the first woman to join. I have two great-aunts on my mom’s side that were in the Navy.”

Kitchen, who is from eastern Kentucky, did not follow a traditional path to enlistment. She wanted to join the Marine Corps when she was 18, but her parents encouraged her to go to college first. “My parents told me if I went to college, they’d help pay for it. If I wanted to join after that, then it’s my prerogative.”

Kitchen attended Northern Kentucky University with a political science major and pre-law minor. After graduating, she went to law school, but it wasn’t what she expected, so she decided not to continue.

It was around this time Kitchen had a memorable moment of internal reflection. She still had a desire to join the military and follow the footsteps of everyone in her family who served. At that time, the world was watching tensions between Russia and Ukraine starting to escalate. There was talk of World War III.

“I thought I am willing and able, but I’m sitting here at home. That’s not right,” said Kitchen. “I have the ability to serve. I have the courage to serve. I am sitting here and not doing that."

“There is a scripture. It’s Isaiah 6:8: 'And then I heard the voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send and who will go for us. Then said I, here am I. Send Me.' I got a little convicted reflecting on that. I said alright I’ll join.”

Kitchen enlisted knowing she was going to be a firefighter. It’s a job she picked and one that she says fits her well.

“I have what may be considered an aggressive leadership style,” said Kitchen. “I am the type of person that calls a spade a spade. In this career field, in firefighting, there is no room for ambiguity when it comes to helping save lives. You cannot second guess yourself. You cannot hesitate. You cannot be wrong. You will learn literally trial by fire how the things you do, the actions you take directly impact the outcome to a situation.”

As the current lead dispatcher, Kitchen handles response calls and sends emergency crews out. She is married to a fellow military firefighter, whom she met at technical school. They have one daughter. Her goal is to be promoted to chief master sergeant and be a fire chief.

When asked what she most enjoys about being in the military, Kitchen’s answer comes quickly. “I deeply enjoy the camaraderie. It’s a unique experience the military provides and it binds you. It’s a wonderful thing to have — that shared experience among us. It is a very rare thing to possess.”

As for being a firefighter, Kitchen says there are good days and there are bad days. She’s learning and adapting to it. “I am in this boat that we call life. I don’t want to be in a warship that has never been on the rapids. You need to constantly test yourself. You need to constantly evolve. You need to constantly improve yourself. If you are in stagnant waters, you need to check your surroundings because something has gone awry. Life is chaos.”

Staff Sgt. Erika Kitchen is the lead dispatcher for the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron’s fire department. Her goal is to stay for a full 20-year Air Force career, make chief master sergeant and be a fire chief. After her military service, Kitchen plans to return to Kentucky and the family farm.