TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. —
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Sarah Krieger, Tripler Army Medical Center nurse, was coordinating an air medical transport operation for a patient when she realized her brother, U.S. Air Force Capt. Zackary Krieger, 21st Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III pilot, would be piloting the C-17 coming to transport them.
Zackary was flying a routine training mission when he received a tasking for medical transport, the operation resulting in a surprise family reunion with his younger sister, Sarah.
Sarah’s patient needed transportation first to Travis AFB, then to a medical facility in Tampa, Florida. After more than a month of waiting, she joked with the patient, U.S. Navy Lt. Anthony Cristofari, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard nuclear power limited duty officer, from time-to-time that she would “just call her brother”, an Air Force pilot stationed at Travis, to fly him there.
Zackary and Sarah grew up in Buffalo, New York. From an entirely Army family, Zackary chose a different path and joined the Air Force.
“They told me if I want quality of life, join the Air Force,” said Zackary.
Zackary commissioned in 2019 and went to undergraduate pilot training to be trained as a C-17 pilot. His sister chose to carry on the family tradition and joined the Army as a nurse.
Their worlds unexpectedly collided during this unique mission.
“I obviously didn’t think that would end up happening,” said Sarah. “There were several obstacles that needed overcoming to make it happen. It became a command interest for the hospital, and they started reaching out to different resources to get [Cristofari] to his medical facility.”
After joking that he would “just go pick them up”, the possibility started to become more real when his training mission was delayed and diverted due to weather to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Knowing that his flight was delayed, Sarah called him again and asked if he happened to be stuck in St. Croix. Once he confirmed he was, Zackary asked how she’d known without him telling her.
It was then that Zackary realized his crew would be transporting the same patient his sister had been supporting. When their aircraft landed on the flightline in Hawaii, Sarah brought Cristofari out to the aircraft herself once they arrived.
“She was taking care of him for a month or two before he was able to get a flight out,” said Zackary. “[Sarah] got to bring Cristofari out to the jet and see the end of a process she had been a part of since almost the beginning. It was awe-inspiring to see [Cristofari] and his wife all teared up saying goodbye to my sister.”
With this experience, Zackary and Sarah said they were able to witness a deeper level of the impact their professions had on the Department of Defense mission.
“[Sarah] had never seen the jet before,” said Zackary. “And it was inspiring to meet [Cristofari] and see his motivation to get out of there. We don’t often get the opportunity to talk to the patients because they’re either in critical care or being treated by the aeromedical team.”
Cristofari made it to the medical facility in Tampa, where he is making rapid progress in his recovery, said Zackary. This surprise family reunion turned into a special moment the Kriegers said they won’t forget and gives a whole new meaning to brothers and sisters in arms.
