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RIM Blue Star Moms
“They Will Never Feel Forgotten”
Tina Lingenfelter is the Vice President of RIM Blue Star Moms and is a double Blue Star Mom herself with two sons in the United States Army, Austin and Camron Lingenfelter.
Austin and Camron both grew up on the Mountain and attended Rim of the World High School. Austin graduated in 2013 and Camron graduated in 2016.
Austin received his commission in May of 2017, after he graduated from California State University San Marcos with a BS in Computer Science. He was a member of the Aztec Battalion of the Army ROTC and had received a 4-year ROTC scholarship to attend San Marcos. Austin is a 1st Lieutenant and is currently stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where he is an Infantry Officer and Paratrooper assigned to the 82nd Airborne. After he fulfills his contract obligations he does not know whether or not he will reenlist. If he does not reenlist, Austin would like to come back to California and possibly work on a graduate degree.
Camron enlisted in July of 2016, right after graduation. He is a Specialist and recently changed duty stations from Landstuhl in Germany to Fort Hood in Texas, where he serves as a Combat Medic assigned to the 3rd Calvary. Camron has been contemplating becoming a career soldier, but as of now, he has no plans of when he will leave. Eventually he would like to come back to California and continue working in the emergency medical field, possibly as a Paramedic/Firefighter.
Tina was able to see Camron twice in the past two years while he was stationed in Germany. She is hoping to see him more now that he has moved back to the States. Austin is very busy and often out on training missions and she only sees him once or twice a year. Tina is very proud to be a Blue Star Mom, but of course, she constantly worries about her boys. Tina says that she is filled with awe that her sons chose to serve their country in such an honorable way. She loves the support she receives from the Blue Star Mom organization and is proud of the service that they provide to military-related organizations and the support they provide to the sons and daughters who are currently serving.
Even though Tina worries about deployment and their safety, she is very proud that her sons have chosen to serve their country. She is impressed that they have accomplished so many great things in the short amount of time they have been in service.
Although each went about it in different ways, Tina is not surprised that both her boys joined the Army. Austin and Camron have always had a sense of duty. They were both Eagle Scouts in Troop 251 in Lake Arrowhead and believe in service to others.
Thank you for your service gentlemen, you come from good mountain stock! We are proud of you.
My son Tucker Jones graduated from Rim in 2011. He is an Army 1st. Lt., currently stationed at Camp Humphries in So. Korea, returning stateside soon, and will return to Ft. Leonard-Wood in MO. He too is an Eagle Scout. As mountain residents we can’t be proud enough of the men and women who serve from our community.
As a member of Lake Arrowhead Republican Women, Federated, we have a program that serves our active mountain military with paying for an item they may need beyond what their stipends afford. Who do you know that we don’t, that can use our help.