US Air Force MSgt Maria Breceda is a member of the 161st Air Refueling Wing, which flies the venerable KC-135. Her son was recently deployed to Afghanistan as an airborne infantryman with the 25th Infantry Division. An Air Force article documents how her prayerful concern affected her son’s deployment:

“Even though we have a family legacy of serving in the military, I said a prayer every day to keep a watchful eye over my son Michael and the members of his unit.”

Over the next few weeks she learned just how her prayers had been answered:

A 161st ARW crew…was conducting combat support in their KC-135R Stratotanker, when they overheard radio traffic from an A-10 Thunderbolt II that was in need of refueling as it responded to a request for close air support for troops in contact with enemy forces…

“We knew that the mission was critical,” Howell said. “We could hear the intensity in the voice of the A-10 pilot over the radio and volunteered our support.”…

Upon returning home from their deployment, the aircrew was asked to brief the Wing commander during a staff meeting in June about the combat support role they performed. Sergeant Breceda was also in attendance…

After the briefing Sergeant Breceda began talking with the aircrew about the mission and during the conversation she confirmed that they had in fact been supporting her son’s battalion on the ground…

“During my son’s deployment I always prayed for protection from above,” Sergeant Breceda said. “This time it happened to be answered by a KC-135 and an A-10.”

There is probably no greater spiritual weapon than a mother’s prayer.

U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Wes Parrell

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