Captain Zlatoslava Karga jumped into action as soon as her mother, Luba, agreed to flee the war-torn country.
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"I immediately contacted several of my friends in Ukraine, asking if they know of anyone who assists elderly and vulnerable populations escape keep Kyiv," said Capt. Karga.
The Ukrainian-born American citizen worked tirelessly to bring her mother to her Vacaville home.
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"I had almost two weeks of sleepless nights. Extreme anxiety," said Capt. Karga. "I was running on adrenaline literally because I was living on Ukrainian time and my brain constantly working."
She planned her mother's escape over a two-week period. Luba going from one safe house to the next - leaving everything behind.
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"It's a huge sadness," said Luba, her daughter translating. "I was living my life. All things I know, my heirlooms, family ancestral things, family albums, my job, my cat, everything."
Capt. Karga calls her husband her biggest support.
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"I was sort of trying to play the role of assistant to my wife," said Rob Rigor. "I was just thinking what can I do to not get in the way and support her in whatever she needs to do."
And, that meant traveling to Poland to pick up his wife and his mother-in-law who's one of the millions of Ukrainians who've fled.
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"I think it was seven buses until I finally found the one she was on and when I saw her come out the door I just ran up and grabbed her bags and gave her a hug," said Rigor.
Luba explained that she feels lucky to be safe and free on her family's property in Northern California.
"First of all, I cannot express how grateful I am to the American people," she said.
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Capt. Karga credits her Air Force background with bringing her mother to safety.
"Just the mere fact that I'm a female. I'm a captain and I'm serving my country just empowered me," she said. "I'm a leader who is able to make decisions and stand by them and not be afraid."
As for how long her mother with stay, Luba said, "Only time will tell."