ALAMOGORDO, New Mexico (KVIA) — At times you hear them, and sometimes you can see them… F-16 combat fighter jets soaring high and fast over the southwestern skies. Just to the north of El Paso, the Air Force’s 54th Fighter Group at Holloman Air Force Base trains about 100 of those skilled F-16 pilots every
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ALAMOGORDO, New Mexico (KVIA) — Just to the north of El Paso, the Air Force’s 54th Fighter Group at Holloman Air Force Base trains about 100 skilled F-16 pilots every year. Very few of them are women. First Lieutenant Lili Ruland is one of two female student pilots at Holloman Air Force Base. “I recently
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — El Paso native, Nancy Nave, had no acting ambition. She graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, but realized it wasn’t conducive to family life. Nave says, “I realized, I don’t know if I really like that or not.” Her husband, Jason
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — This week, ABC-7 is profiling an El Paso actress who is now working to provide up-and-coming actors with business advice. Nancy Nave says she was the victim of theft by a former agent and doesn’t want others to go through what she went through. Nave, an El Paso native, works
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — “I truly believe that we could stop wars and fights happening in the world with just learning how to listen.” 16-year-old Edwin Ortega is on a mission. He’s a sophomore at Burges High school and wants people to put the screens down and connect more with each other. He wants
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) — The New Mexico State University Interim Head of Kinesiology sat down with ABC-7 to explain the difficulties of teaching during the pandemic. “Obviously not being able to offer face to face classes made it very challenging,” says Christopher Aiken. “To do something that involves a lot of partner work
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — “It’s not easy. You know, you work graveyards, you work long hours,” says Executive Assistance Chief of Police, Zina Silva. “It’s difficult. It’s very hard on relationships.” To protect, honor and serve takes sacrifice. To 62-year-old Chief Silva, the sacrifice is worth it. She is the highest ranking female in
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Very few Army soldiers reach the rank of Major General. “It’s more rare than I thought, says General Harrison. “It’s pretty exciting when you’re with the gate guards, when they look at my I.D. card… they see my image, wow, it’s a Major General.” General Richard A. Harrison is one
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — “It’s definitely changed my life,” says Abraham Bueno-Jallad. “You know, I set out to be an artist, not to be famous.” After 15 years in the show business, Abraham landed a role in the biblical drama, “The Chosen.” “I had been trying to move up and push, break the ceiling
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El Paso, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Zoo is ready to present a real jewel in the animal kingdom: a rhino named Taj. “A new exhibit doesn’t come along very often,” says El Pasoan Marco Duran. He’s excited to welcome the seven year old, Greater One-Horned rhino. “So it’s nice to have something new
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Freddy Arellano already serves the community as a Crisis Intervention Officer with the Socorro Police Department. However, his service and mental health awareness truly began as a civilian in 2018. That’s when his beloved aunt, Yvonne Castillo, succumbed to cancer. “What inspired me was my late aunt,” says Arellano. Arellano
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — You can’t miss it when entering Fort Bliss and it’s one of the last things you see leaving. The bronze, three thousand pound statue of a Buffalo Soldier was erected in 1999, and depicts Army Corporal John Ross with Troop I of the U.S. Calvary on horseback carrying a riffle.
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — For decades, the focus of the Army Emergency Relief, also known as AER, is to assist soldiers and their families in times of trouble. Retired Sergeant Major of the Army, Michael Grinston, was thrilled when AER unanimously announced him as CEO. “Fantastic,” says Grinston. “I loved it. It was great.
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Gerardo Ozorio-Quiroz, a retired Army Infantryman, says military life was at times difficult. “A lot of issues going on when you’re deployed, when you’re in the Army,” says Gerardo. “When you have a job that takes you away from your family.” Gerardo and his wife, Sandra, have been married for
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Even though Halloween is several months away, something spooky has arrived to El Paso. Paranormal Cirque II has a unique show for mature audiences who don’t easily scare. Steve Copeland, host and comedian of the show, says Paranormal Cirque II will not disappoint. “It’s very gratifying to see how people
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Christina Villa grew up in El Paso’s Lower Valley with dreams of making it in Hollywood. Now, she is celebrating her first leading role alongside some famous co-stars. Villa — and her El Paso-born pup, Timber — sat down with ABC-7’s Crista Mack to talk about her journey. “Keeping that, that
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Five hundred service members were treated to a special guest this week to discuss the importance in supporting the quality of life of soldier, especially for those living in the barracks. Sergeant Major Michael J. Perry III spoke to students at the Sergeant Major course class 74. Sergeant Major Perry
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — El Pasoan Melissa Diaz co-starts alongside a seasoned actor and opens up about her journey to Tinsel Town. “I’ve asked for like, what should I do in auditions or how should I present myself… and she’s said… always be yourself,” Diaz says. Diaz says this is the most important advice she’s been given; and
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Water Utility is charged with providing safe water to hundreds of thousands of residents. ABC-7 spoke to Ruben Rodriguez, chief water quality compliance officer. He says they test approximately 40,000 samples to make sure it’s both safe to drink and safe for the environment. “The water that’s
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Airman Garret Glore is humble and reserved. He works out up to five hours a day to be ready for anything. “Personally I don’t see myself as a hero, as an airman and an American, I was just doing my job,” Airman Glore told ABC-7 in an interview at Holloman
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A retirement ceremony was held to commemorate the career of a proud service member. After serving the Army for a majority of his life, one officer says he couldn’t have done it without support. People gathered from all over the nation to celebrate with Colonel Robert V. Urquhart and his
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Many Blackhawk helicopters from the 2-501st Combat Aviation Brigade departed form Fort Bliss to Fort Irwin, Calif., to support the 1st Armored Division’s upcoming National Training Center rotation. The 2-501st Combat Aviation Brigade plays an important role in combat operations for 1st Armored Division and participates in training rotations once
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — “Don’t Let the Monsters Out” is a book by an Air Force Veteran who shares her experiences serving in Camp Bucca during the Iraq war. “Hatred, it smells like adrenaline, it smells like sewage, and it just it smells like everybody wants to kill me.” Hatred was Airman Heather O’Brien’s first impression of
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — T.J. Stukes, originally from the Bronx, New York moved to El Paso 13 years ago. He’s an assistant basketball coach at Northern New Mexico College. Recently, he was contestant 182 on Squid Game: The Challenge. While browsing online, Stukes took a chance and applied to the show. He was in
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — 63-year-old veteran Wayne Weaver will walk almost 2,000 miles for various veteran charities in El Paso. His walk starts Thursday. He’ll pull a wagon filled with supplies donned with American and POW flags. His only companion on this four to five month trip is his service dog, Houdini. Weaver is
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Two brothers from California, raised in the same home with the same family values, are now grown up and living their dreams hundreds of miles apart, until this year’s Sun Bowl. Big brother Brandon Caufield felt a sense of pride for his county at a young age and was drawn
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — 17-year-old Ryan Jabot says he was devastated after his father lost his battle to PTSD four years ago. “It’s been pretty rough,” says Jabot, “but playing video games has helped get through that and meeting people who have the same thing, playing video games and same passions, it helps a
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — As the holiday season comes to a close and New Year celebrations begin, one El Pasoan is determined to continue giving back. Retired Army Nurse Debo Wakefield has volunteered with the Aloha Medical Mission for six years. In just a few weeks, she and a medical team of thirty from
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — “Well, there’s nothing like that in the world to see,” says Pastor Hugo Garcia of Cornerstone Ministry Church. “Now they return with hope in their eyes… where they’re free from what they came up with.” Pastor Garcia has one holiday wish. To send 100 at-risk El Paso teens to a
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — His name has been known in the El Paso community for decades: from his weekly column in the El Paso Times to his involvement in local sports. Now, Wayne Thornton’s name will be known for years to come, proudly presiding over the old Grandview Community Center. The City of El
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