Airman Dominic Luka, 28, is poised to begin his military career and start a new chapter in his life. However, the Air Force trainee, who is currently assigned to the 446th Airlift Wing's Development and Training Flight, has already led a life that some may find unbelievable.

Luka, who is originally from the Republic of the Sudan, is considered one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan." The term was given to the groups of more than 20,000 young boys who were displaced and/or orphaned as a result of the Second Sudanese Civil War, which transpired between 1983 and 2005.

"It was not safe for me to be there with my family," Luka stated.

So, at the age of 10, Luka, an altar boy, was evacuated by the priests he worked with under the guise of a large mass being held in Kenya. The harrowing trip, during which he was cautioned not to even speak at the multiple checkpoints and border crossings, ended in Kenya, where many of the boys and families were able to seek refuge. He spent the next four years there before a German nun working at the refugee camp forever changed his life.

"Sister Louise had us write our ‘stories' and then she sent them to the embassies in order to try and help us find a way out," he said. Luka was lucky enough to receive a call from the United States embassy and he embarked on a series of interviews before actually relocating to the U.S. in 2001.

"When I got here, it was a lot different from what I came from," he explained. "I had to adjust to the way of life here."

First, he was assigned to a foster family and then started ninth-grade and began to excel in soccer, cross-country and his academic studies. In fact, he skipped 10th-grade and two years later, the driven young man then received a full scholarship for Track & Field to attend Norfolk State University in Virginia; he graduated with a Bachelor of science in Management Information Systems.

Shortly after that, Luka was on vacation with his extended foster family in Key West when he met the girl of his dreams, Laura, who happened to be in the Coast Guard. After a long-distance romance, the two got married last summer and when Laura left the Coast Guard, the pair relocated to Oregon so that she could attend school.

At that point, Luka had already made up his mind about joining the military and, following their move to the west coast, he enlisted with the 446th AW at McChord Field, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

"I always wanted to join the service, but I didn't know which one. I wanted to give back to this country," he explained. "The Air Force Reserve was the best choice."

Later this month, Luka will head to basic military training. He is going to be trained as a 3SO, which is the Air Force Specialty Code for personnel, and when he completes training, he will work within the 446th's Force Support Squadron.

While he did lose his father and some of his siblings as a result of the war, Luka's mother and other siblings are still alive and living in Sudan.

"The first time I was able to reconnect with my family was in 2005; I hadn't spoken to them in almost eight years. I had friends who went back to Sudan and they were able to pass on my contact information," Luka shared. "Now I can talk to them a few times a year and stay in touch."