US Air Force Technical Sergeant Rahmeka Hopkins joined the military in 2004 because she felt it would be an honor to serve her country. She bravely served her country for 15 years before being discharged in 2019. She stated that although she wished she could have served longer, she loved every minute of her job, the uniform, and what it stood for.

Working in Special Operations, Technical Sergeant Hopkins operated daily in situations that were critical and life changing. Working in a fast-paced environment for a long period of time made her susceptible to obtaining invisible wounds. It was on January 3, 2017, when she woke up and said she knew something was wrong with her. It took 35 hospitalizations, six months at Walter Reed and more than seven different specialists to finally figure out that she had contracted a rare form of cancer, presumed to be from chemical exposure. Technical Sergeant Hopkins also suffers from severe nerve damage and malignant arthritis all over her body, causing shocking pain in her legs and into her feet, which has caused her to be confined to a wheelchair.

For her service to her country, US Air Force Technical Sergeant Hopkins is the recipient of the Joint Service Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Achievement Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Korean Defense Service Medal.