My Air Force Story

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My Air Force story begins as a young child sitting next to my father in his Cessna 172RG. From a very early age, my father would take my mother, brother and I up for weekend trips in his private aircraft. The first time I put my hands on the yolk, I was hooked. Little did I know at the time, but this love of flying started me down the path to my Air Force career. It would lead to become an avionics technician, an ICBM operator and a space tester. I began this journey as a freshman in college at Washington State University where I walked into the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps building and enrolled as a cadet. After two years of college, where I did a lot of partying and not so much studying, I decided I needed go out into the world and grow up before finishing college. So, I enlisted in the Air Force. As it would turn out, this decision dramatically changed the course of my life. I showed up to Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), Texas one early morning in March 1996 ready to experience the world. And that is exactly what I did. I was assigned as an F-16 avionics technician. I earned the Top Graduate at both my electronic principles and F-16 avionics technical schools before I was assigned to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho for my first assignment. Within one month of arriving at my base, I was on my way to my first deployment to Saudi Arabia. This was the first of many deployments. In fact, during my four years as an enlisted airman, I spent more time deployed than at my home station, and I loved every minute of it. Having experienced a little bit of the world, I applied for and received a scholarship from active duty to once again pursue my commission. A short three years later, I had earned my Bachelor of ... ... middle of paper ... ...frared System (SBIRS) operational test program. Our mission is to operationally test the Air Force’s new SBIRS acquisitions. This is an extremely large and complex system which will be delivered in several steps over the next decade. Currently, my team and I are building a plan to test the newest Air Force SBIRS satellite. The SBIRS Geostationary Earth Orbit -1 (GEO-1) is scheduled to launch in December of this year. It is our responsibility to test the system to ensure that the product the Air Force is paying for is in compliance with all the technical specifications that is required to do. In my Air Force career so far, I have been an avionics technician, an ICBM operator and a space tester. It has taken me from destinations all around the globe, to bunkers depth within the earth, and now to heavens above. I cannot wait to see where it will lead me next.

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