Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      A photo depiction of a master sergeant writing poems with pen and paper. Master Sgt. Zhyronn Carter, 373rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group/Alaska Mission Operations Center, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, recently published her book in November 2016. According to Carter, her book consists of poems about domestic abuse and sexual trauma from different points of views. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)Writer, Airman finds beauty through adversity in flowers
                        
                        
                        Master Sgt. Zhyronn Carter, assigned to the 373rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group/Alaska Mission Operations Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, recently published a book in November 2016. According to Carter, her book consists of poems about domestic abuse and sexual trauma from different points of views. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Writer, Airman finds beauty through adversity in flowersPublished Sept. 4, 2017
                    
                    By Staff Sgt. AJ Hyatt
                    
                    
                    70th Intellengence Surveilllance and Reconnissance Wing Public Affairs
            **FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) --**(This feature is part of the "**Through Airmen's Eyes**" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)
“Beauty comes in different forms. When we see beauty, we assume that it had a great life; but there is more than meets the eye. Even the most beautiful soul comes from a place of hardship and sorrow. There are many tragedies that happen to us all; whether it is domestic abuse or sexual trauma, we will triumph and continue to bloom like flowers.”
These words are from Zhyronn Carter, a master sergeant at the 373rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. She currently works at the Alaska Mission Operations Center as the section chief for education and training, and the words are from her book published in November 2016.
Carter said the book consists of poems about domestic abuse and sexual trauma from different points of view. 
“These obstacles do not affect just the person going through the trauma, but also friends and family,” she said.   
Her inspiration sprung from the thought of seeing something beautiful and wondering how that object became so pretty. This led her to write using flowers to tell the story.
There are flowers that are beautiful, and grow in the oddest of places, she said. “Each person is beautiful, but each person had to overcome some things to get to the point where they bloom into a beautiful person.”
Each flower in the book relays the story of how domestic abuse and sexual trauma have affected its life, both good and bad. 
“Here, you will (find) solace and comfort,” Carter said.
The 20-year Airman admits it only took her a month to write the book.
“I was going to my friend’s retirement ceremony in Georgia,” she said. “Between flights, I started to write. On the way back, realized that there was a theme.”
When Carter finished writing, her next goal was to get it published. She said that was the difficult part.
“I wrote this book, but I did not know how to publish it. So I ‘Googled’ book publishers and happened upon a quiz,” said the North Carolina-native.
The quiz asked a few question about the genre of the book and the author’s desire. Then, the site matched Carter with two publishing companies. After submitting her work to the publishers, she received two offers.
But, Carter said her purpose was not to make money from the book, but to help others.
“I am hoping that people realize that everyone is affected by sexual and domestic abuse and trauma,” she said. “Instead of thinking that ‘It does not affect me because it did not happen to me,’ I want people to understand that it affects everyone and it is everyone’s responsibility to support individuals that had to deal with these issues.”
Carter also wanted to show that people truly do not know everyone’s struggles. On the outside, the person may be beautiful, but it took strength, courage and perseverance to achieve that beauty, she said.
Carter said her accomplishments could not have happened without her team and family.
“I would like to thank my husband for the encouragement and the JBER (Sexual Assault Response Coordinator) office, and the Women’s Veteran Network for reading over the draft and encouraging me to follow my dream,” Carter said.
Carter said she has been writing poems, plays and short stories since she was in sixth grade, and likes the effect her writing has on people.
“Words convey so much emotion that they can make the reader see, touch and feel what the author is saying,” she said.
Carter is currently working on her second book, which will focus on a woman warrior. Additionally, she is hoping to turn her current book into a stage play.Through Airman’s Eyes 



TAE 



fort meade 



70th Intellengence Surveillance and Reconnissance Wing 



70th ISRW 



poetry 



domestic violence 



373rd Intellengence Surveillance and Reconnissance Group 



373rd ISRG 



JB Elmendorf Richardson 



Alaska Mission Operations Center 



writing 



flowers 



Air Force 



AF 



joint base Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander emphasizes five focus areas during AFA Warfare Symposium
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil