there's a flaw in my code
Born the eldest daughter to two professors of anthropology at the University of California Los Angeles, Athena Chambers lived what some might call a charmed life. Her parents were loving and supportive despite both their busy schedules. They made sure she was able to participate in the sports and other extracurricular activities that interested her. She played forward on the soccer team as well as participating in several different events for track. She took up karate at the age of 8 and still trains to this day. She did well in her studies, excelling at practical applications and science. She was set for full rides to the college of her choice, but surprised everyone when she enlisted in the United States Air Force instead.
No one even knew she had had any interest in a military life. Not even Athena. She simply knew that, for once, she wanted to excel at something no one would have guessed she'd be any good at. Had she been able to, she would have enlisted as a pararescue jumper but limitations of females in combat roles restricted her. So she decided to enlist as a SERE instructor instead.
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape. She got to train to be the one who taught aviators and other personnel at risk of being captured how to make it until Uncle Sam could come and get them. It hadn't occurred to her at the time of enlistment, but after a few years at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington state she started to realize that she'd always been sort of grooming herself for this kind of work. It took a developed type of mindset to put these airmen through the hell that was SERE training. She needed to be able to be their friend while also wanting them to fail.
You see, while those outside her mind would have called her life charmed, she would have called it lonely. Though it was lonely by choice mind you. It wasn't for lack of trying from both her parents and her younger brother. She just preferred being alone. Even on the pitch or on the track, she kept mostly to herself. One would think her team spirit should have suffered from the distance she kept between herself and her teammates, but somehow it never did. She could easily slip in with the girls on away games, chanting spirit songs on the buses. Or going out for food after a track meet with the guys. But once she left the group, she closed herself off.
The only exception was her little brother, Franklin. Of course she wouldn't consider herself closer to her until she was in her late teens, but Anna was always the one Athena confided in when she couldn't take being lonely anymore.
Athena's alone time was spent either practicing karate or shooting her bow. Hunting in Los Angeles Angeles wasn't exactly the most common pastime, but it was one her and her father were able to enjoy together. They'd go out to the family cabin for a long weekends during bow season. It was in the woods that Athena honed the skills that would help her rise through the lower enlisted ranks of the Air Force quickly. Promotions at that level are mostly time in service based, but they make exceptions for exemplary airmen, and Athena made sure she was one of those.
Thirteen years into her enlistment, Athena started experiencing trouble with performing some of the tasks required for her job. She was soon diagnosed with osteoarthritis and was started on a regular routine of corticosteroid injections for a few months. Afterwards, when her doctors gave their prognosis, her commanding officer pulled her into his office and gave her two choices: medically retire with a disability percentage from the VA or take up recruiting duty in her hometown and ride out the last, now six, years till retirement.
She was given that ultimatum three years ago. She took the retirement route and has been recruiting in the greater Los Angeles area ever since. She has three years left on her contract and now spends her day trying not to throttle the other airmen in her officer while also trying to enlist the future of the Air Force. She still trains in karate and shoots her bow when her shoulder isn't bothering her.