Although she’s all grown up now, with two kids, a husband and making a life of her own in the Navy, Autumn Flaig learned that sometimes you still need your mom.

She was feeling anxious about running in her first marathon the next morning. Her mother, Sharon Reyes, had traveled across the country to support her. Her mom, once stationed at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station just like her daughter and now retired from the Navy, helped talk her through the nerves and they even shared memories of when Flaig was a kid at Olympic View Elementary in Oak Harbor and already running.

Just like her mom.

“She was in a little 25-mile club,” Reyes said. “We still have the T-shirt. She pulled it out and said, ‘Maybe I’m going to run in this.’”

Eventually, the nerves subsided just enough, morning came and Flaig completed her first marathon.

Then, after finishing the Whidbey Island Marathon on April 13, she formally committed to continue her military journey.

In a small ceremony near the finish line, before her mother, husband, kids and members of the chain of command from Electronic Attack Squadron 139, she reenlisted for four more years in the Navy.

And eventually, her emotions caught up with her.

“It was obviously a very emotional experience,” said Flaig, an aviation structural mechanic second class at the base. “I’m just really happy. I’m glad I could put the two together and celebrate two wonderful things and have everybody here.”

Flaig could thank Lt. Cmdr. Jack Curtis, the maintenance officer at VAQ-139, for the unusual backdrop for her reenlistment.

She had told Curtis that she wanted to add four more years of service to the eight she had already served. Curtis came up with the idea that Flaig reenlist at the finish line after her first marathon.

The original plan was to discharge Flaig before the start of the race near the Deception Pass bridge. But fearing they wouldn’t have enough time as the start of the marathon approached, they opted to take care of the both proceedings at the finish.

“Usually you get together in the hangar, do a little ceremony, have some cake and get back to work,” Curtis said. “So this was pretty cool. And to have her whole chain of command here and her mom and her husband, that was pretty cool for her as well.”

On hand to support Flaig and Curtis on the Sunday occasion were the squadron’s Command Officer, Dwight Clemons II, and Executive Officer William Fraser.

They all expressed confidence in Flaig’s role in the squadron.

Flaig works in the base’s Quality Assurance Division, providing oversight and follow-up to ensure other squadron maintenance work centers are adhering to published procedures and practices. Her job also is provide advanced level training to other maintainers.

“As a sailor, she’s incredible,” Clemons said. “More important, she’s an incredible person.”

Curtis, an experienced marathon and ultramarathon runner, learned she’s a rather extraordinary athlete, too.

Flaig finished her first marathon in 4 hours, 21 seconds — about 11 minutes ahead of Curtis.

“She did awesome,” Curtis said. “I didn’t really train for this. I ran a month ago, a long race. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish with her.”

Curtis knew of Flaig’s competitive nature and eagerness and was more concerned with setting her up to succeed in her first marathon.

“My goal was to keep her slow for the first half of the race so she’d have something to run the second half with,” he said. “I was never going to be able to finish with her.”

They ran together until the halfway point of the 26.2-mile race when Flaig forged ahead.

“I saw him behind me and he was like, ‘Keep going! Keep going!” Flaig said. “I was like, ‘OK.’”

Considering the hilly nature of the course and blustery weather, Curtis was impressed, but not surprised.

“She did awesome for her first marathon,” Curtis said. “It’s a tough course. AM2 did great. I’m proud of her. I’m glad we could do this the way she wanted to.”

It seemed only fitting that the sun was out and her mom was there to meet her at the finish line. Her husband, Mike, and their children, Lauren, 5, and Michael, 3, were right behind her.

Flaig wanted to run well and finish the race for herself but also for her family that looks up to her.

“It was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” she said shortly after finishing. “I’m glad it’s over. I’ll probably do another one, but not anytime soon.

“I have a huge sense of self satisfaction right now.”

But her mission for the day was only half complete.

She still had a ceremony ahead of her. Once Curtis finished, they both changed clothes and eventually limped back to the finish area.

Reyes, who retired after nearly 21 years in the Navy and now lives in Virginia Beach, Va., helped her daughter with her hair.

“Thank you very much for coming out,” Curtis told the small gathering. “This is a big day for AM2. This is her first marathon. That’s not the most impressive thing she’s doing today. The most impressive thing she’s doing today is she’s committing four more years to the Navy.”

After discharging Flaig by reading a few words, Curtis made an announcement.

“Attention to reenlist,” he said.

Curtis and Flaig then stood at attention while he recited the oath of enlistment.

In a matter of moments, Flaig was officially back in the Navy.

“She’s doing well. Why not continue it? Take it to the next level,” Reyes said. “She feels really positive about it. She’s not forced to do it because she has no other options. She likes what she’s doing. I’m expecting great things from her.”

And despite all of her daughter’s pre-race anxiety, she expected nothing more than a positive outcome at the finish of the marathon.

She’s come to expect such things from her middle child, her second daughter in the Navy.

“I was just so happy and proud of her,” Reyes said. “I knew she was going to finish.”