Personal Narrative: My Experience in the Air Force
explanatory Essay
941 words
I have been blessed to have led a highly fulfilling career over the past 22 years. The Air Force’s standards of conduct and performance have helped me mature into an adult while creating lasting memories along the way. I have had the opportunity to make significant contributions to my country that offer a sense of pride and personal achievement. My current duties allow me to directly contribute to the Air Force and Joint arena on an almost daily basis. Joining the Air Force helped me to realize I had undertaken a task bigger than myself.
I grew up in a small town and after I graduated high school I wanted more in life than a 9 to 5 job; I wanted to see the world. I had a few friends that had joined the military and had come home to visit with exciting stories about their experiences. I noticed a change in a few of them; they seemed to walk a little taller, maybe act a bit more mature. This, along with the intrigue of life outside of my small town, drew me to consider joining the military. I met a recruiter in Lakeland Florida in July of 1989 and a few months later on September 26th I raised my right hand and took the Oath of Enlistment. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.
Within the coming year I would have many exciting experiences allowing me to mature. I graduated technical school at Lowery AFB, CO as a Munitions Systems Specialist and was assigned to Eglin AFB, FL. A little over a year later I received a phone call at 2 AM which would drastically change my life. I was recalled to help transport missiles to awaiting F-15s that were preparing to deploy. We were told that some previously unknown dictator had invaded a country in the Middle East that none of us had ever heard of. Within 48 hours I was on a p...
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...my work had a direct and lasting effect on the DoD. I am able to clearly see the impact of my job at AFOTEC and that makes what I do very worthwhile.
Being able to clearly understand how my job contributes to the Air Force, the Joint Environment, and the DoD is extremely satisfying. I take my work seriously because I know that what I do can have a direct impact on the military’s ability to fight and win wars. The personal achievements that I have experienced during my 22 years in the Air Force are also very gratifying. The work I did as a Security Policeman stand out the most. It was here that I went from a boy to a man in just a few short months and fully understood what it meant to be a part of the military. From humble beginnings in a small town I made the decision to enlist and take on a task bigger than myself. I had no idea what I was getting into.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the air force's standards of conduct and performance have helped them mature into an adult while creating lasting memories along the way.
- Explains that they grew up in a small town and wanted to see the world. they met recruiters in lakeland, florida, and took the oath of enlistment.
- Describes how they graduated technical school at lowery afb, co as a munitions systems specialist, and was assigned to eglin air force, fl. they were recalled to help transport missiles to awaiting f-15s.
- Describes how they landed at tabuk air base in the kingdom of saudi arabia after being tasked with unloading massive amounts of cargo. they liked the well-disciplined airman of the 3201st security police squadron and wanted to fight the war.
- Describes their time as a security policeman in desert storm as their greatest contribution to the air force and joint level.
- Describes their role as a test director at air force operational test and evaluation center (afotec).
- Explains that they take their job seriously because they know that what they do can have a direct impact on the military’s ability to fight and win wars.
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In this essay, the author
- Describes how they were able to contribute directly to the air force mission after graduating from the f-15e formal training unit.
- Describes how they were selected to lead aircrew on a unique mission tasked directly to their fighter squadron by the pacific air force commander.
- Describes how they entered the air force as a call-of-duty and service commitment to ensure our freedoms are preserved and the attacks of september 11, 2001 won't happen again.
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- Explains that their air force story began with a strong family tradition of military service. their great-uncle served as an infantryman during world war i, and their grandfather served in the navy as flight instructor during wwii.
- Describes how they attended a local air show with their father and came away smitten with aircraft, and the idea of joining the air force, which gave them the opportunity to serve in the military while at the same time following their dream of flying airplanes.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that their air force story is a mix of childhood experiences and active duty experiences that culminated in an relatively young six-year career.
- Describes their journey to the air force as a kid, growing up with many relatives that served our community and country.
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- Explains that their leadership and engineering responsibilities have brought on a new level of job satisfaction where they take pride in the efforts of their team.
- Explains that their current assignment fits into the larger air force mission in a unique manner. their unit is charged with flying as many on-orbit dod experiments as possible on man-rated vehicles.
- Opines that they can only hope that their air force story of the future will be as important and satisfying as it has been to date.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that they wanted to be a soldier to defend and disseminate our nation's ideals by assisting others in what their nation knew was right. as an enlisted member, they decided to become an officer.
- Explains that they want to be a defender of their country while helping other nations achieve freedom and democracy. as an nco, they are able to interpret orders and feedback better.
- Opines that establishing themselves as an officer in the community, or public venue, allows society to engage with their expectations of what a military officer is.
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In this essay, the author
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In this essay, the author
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In this essay, the author
- Enlists in the army as a field artilleryman in 1995 after graduating from high school. their service has provided them with positive and negative experiences.
- Describes how they were accustomed to being the only african-american in meeting or staff sections, but when they entered the s3 area, there was a feeling that they came over them.
- Recounts how they met the battalion s3 and were told that they were overstaff and didn't have a position for them. they went back to the xo and explained their place of duty to him.
- Describes how they felt like an outsider within the section, and how the officer leadership made racial jokes in front of staff and soldiers. they informed the battalion command sargent major of the situation, but it did not change the current situation.
- Describes how the battalion moved them to cedar ii to work in a movement control team (mct) in southern iraq, where they learned the new transportation system and got real-world experiences.
- Narrates how they experienced prejudice going up in mississippi, and how frank the leadership was with the racial comments.
- Explains that they did their best as a company commander to eliminate racial tension in the company.
- Explains how the experience helped them prevent racial tension during their command. they explained to their sons and their father that discrimination is forbidden regardless of race, creed, nationality, or sexual preference.
1268 wordsRead More - Becoming an American Patriotnarrative essayIt’s been twenty years since the day I cried over the war in Iraq and many things in my life have changed. Friends have come and gone, and loved ones have passed. I’ve fallen in and out of love twice, and my heart has been broken. But, the one constant in my life, the one thing that has never wavered, is the love I have in my heart for my country. I may not have been ready at the age of five, but by the time I turned seventeen I knew I was willing to lay my life on the line to protect and defend the rights, freedoms, and civil liberties that this great nation affords every American citizen. To this day even though I am serving in another capacity I remain willing to put my life on the line for this country. I am an American Patriot.
In this essay, the author
- Recounts how iraq invaded kuwait on august 2nd 1990, seventy-five days shy of their sixth birthday. the invasion sparked the first gulf war and set in motion a chain of events that determined their life path.
- Recounts how they felt a knot in their stomach and goose bumps as they watched television in the basement watching cartoons.
- Describes the graphic images that flashed across the screen. one of the videos portrayed soldiers dressed in brown and tan uniforms, wearing helmets and carrying huge black guns.
- Narrates how they watched explosions rip through buildings leaving smoldering piles of rubble on the ground. they stared in silent horror as people emerged from the smoke.
- Explains that in their five short years on this planet, they hadn't yet learned how to comprehend war. they did not understand that the war was half the world away.
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- Explains that they became an american patriot on that day, believing in the greatness of this nation, our military, and everything america stands for.
- Recounts their first major act of patriotism when they enlisted on november 26, 2001, after watching live coverage of the world trade center collapse, and forty-one days after their seventeenth birthday.
- Recounts how they took the oath of enlistment, swearing to support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
- Narrates how they took a physical fitness test at fort jackson, south carolina, after graduating high school and 121 days prior to their nineteenth birthday. they failed their first, second, and third pt tests.
- Narrates how they were crushed by the army's decision to discharge them. they pleaded with anyone to give them one more chance, but no one seemed to care.
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- Explains that they worked for meps to interview applicants and submit fingerprints to the fbi. they became soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, the next generation of brothers and sisters in arms tasked with defending this great nation.
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In this essay, the author
- Describes how the air force invested considerable time and resources into training them to skillfully execute their mission in the f-15e strike eagle.
- Explains that they grew up near atlanta, georgia, where there were no active duty air force bases nearby, and was never encouraged to join the force. they wanted a career field that placed emphasis and importance on traits like that.
- Describes how their two deployments served as the capstone for all of the training they received up to that point.
- Explains the mission statement of the 4th fighter wing, the air force wing to which they belong, is to put airpower on target, on time for america.
- Opines that being an officer in the air force is something they are proud of. they are honored to be a weapons system officer in f-15e.
844 wordsRead More