Technical Sergeant Kaden Ables, US Air Force 

Kaden Ables joined the Air Force in 2018. After attending basic training at Lackland AFB, he has served as a C-5 Loadmaster and seen the world. Rising to the rank of Technical Sergeant in under seven years, he recently completed the Air Advisor Academy and utilizes his knowledge and training to facilitate exercise planning for his squadrons.

Kaden grew up in a small town outside Austin, Texas and is the oldest of eight in a very conservative religious family. He identified with his six brothers and tried to tag along and learn everything they were learning. Yet, he was steered in the direction of being female and told to just accept it.

He always had a desire to serve and grew up with stories of his great grandfather’s time in the Air Force. A year into his service, he said, “I noticed some weird things about myself. I was always tired. I didn't ever feel 100%. I could get the job done, but I never felt complete. It just didn’t make sense to me.” It took a lot of testing to determine that he was intersex, conceived with male chromosomes but close to birth a few chromosomes mutated into female chromosomes. But it all fit. With reflection he identified as male. Kaden transitioned and navigated the process for returning to flight duty.
Kaden has not only returned to flight duty, he has excelled. Now he says, “Seeing ‘US Air Force’ on my chest… it's my entire world.” This is where he belongs. Setting up expeditionary airbases, marshalling aircraft, and ensuring the Air Force accomplishes it’s mission to fly, fight, and win.

TSgt Ables has worked as the lead Ramp Expediter in numerous exercises and won Expeditionary Operations Junior NCO of the Year for 2023.
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You can read more of Kaden's story and lean about how he got his callsign in 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦

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