Sergeant Kent Martin

Kent’s values came from his mother: discipline, altruism, resourcefulness, ingenuity and mentorship. They are the cornerstone by which he has modeled his military service as well as civilian life. He joined the Air Force in 2000 and shortly after 9/11, he was deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. While there, he came to know a host family whose youngest son fell ill. In the United States, it would have been an easily treatable illness. In this poverty stricken land, it proved fatal. The family had no money for a funeral, so Kent raised $500 from his troops. It was a large sum of money for the family and it was accepted with appreciation and humility. That was the start of the Manas Humanitarian Group which Kent formed to assist impoverished families in the community.

While deployed, Kent witnessed a new kind of reality, observing the despair of people living in fear of dictators, militias and terrorists. He witnessed devoted surgeons facing situations with insufficient resources, relying on their training, oath and ingenuity to provide aid to the helpless. Later, these same surgeons rebuilt his shoulder after he suffered a line-of-duty injury.

His experience has led him to pursue his goal of becoming a doctor to provide care for people in struggling areas. While studying to become the best physician possible, he continues to serve his community in need as a student clinician at the Shubitz Clinic, the Women’s Clinic and at Nogales Pediatrics.