Quite a Story

Leonlyon0

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2009
Messages
5
So I figured some of my fellow nominees might want to hear my story about the crazy road I have taken to come to where I currently am in the Usafa app process. Sorry its kinda long...

High School... lived in tallahassee, Fl and dont think I ever saw one person in uniform the entire time I was there. There was a jrotc program at my school but it was marines and it was a social club and a joke so i didnt give it a second thought. All of that to say I had absolutely no exposure to the military. No one in my extended family for 2 generations had been in any of the armed services.

During my senior year I applied and was accepted to 9 different colleges throughout the southeast. I went on various campus tours and eventually decided upon Samford University in Birmingham, AL. While I was on my tour at Samford I ran into a AFROTC cadet and he started up conversation with me. He was a really cool guy and he planted the seed in my head that told me I could possibly see my self doing what that guy was doing.

I come home after my college visit and look up scholarship opportunities online and realize that I missed the application deadline for in highschool ROTC scholarship applications by 4 days...it was Dec. 5 and the deadline was Dec. 1. I was crushed. I called the detachment and spoke with the Major and she told me that I should join rotc anyways and that they could get me an in college scholarship.

Summer comes and goes and I move in at Samford fall of 2008. I begin the semster enrolled in ROTC. I soon find that I LOVE it! my air force stuff is what I look forward to every week. I do well and am ranked 2nd in my flight after the first semster. I also join Arnold Air Society, the air force intrest fraturnity.

Over Christmas break I started looking over what I was doing and realized that I really wanted to be at the academy. There was virtually no information out there about transferring into the academy. After the break I spoke with my major and she told me that I was awarded the Detachment 012 USAFA nomination for the year of 2008-09! I was so excited because i thought appling was impossible since it was far to late for me to get a senators nomination.

So I begin the application process Jan. 5th. I find out that my bad ankle (been a problem because of HS soccer) is going to disqualify me. So I quickly schedule surgery. Before having my two part surgery on Feb. 12 and 25 I do both my Dodmerb and CFA. I have the Brostrom-Gould Ligament reattachment procedure. While recovering I keep up with my application packet and college classes. I finish my packet Feb. 25.

Currently I am walking and in rehab after being on crutches for 6 weeks. I am supposed to be fully recovered by the end of april. Once healed I will be able to submit my administrative remedials and pass my dodmerb.

As of right now I havent heard back from the academy about my application. I have left 3 messages and tried to call my admissions counselor every day for the last 2 weeks.

I have faith that my application was a solid one, and the fact that I was able to finish it all was a miracle.

For those other Nominees that are waiting.....in limbo, like me. Keep faith. If you have gotten this far you are among a select few. I am lucky in the fact that I am at ease with the whole situation because if I dont get in I still love my ROTC detachment and would be perfectly content with staying at Samford.

For those people that have received letters of denial, DONT GIVE UP! The academy is just one of the three ways that you can become an officer (USAFA, ROTC, OTS). Dont give up on your dream to become an officer just because you cant go to the academy. ROTC is a great program and they will pay you to go through it and college.

For those who have received appointments. Dont take it lightly. You are among an even smaller elite group and many people would die to be in your situation. You are blessed.:thumb:

I will reply to this post when I get any update on my admission status.

Thanks for reading,

-J
 
Great post! You have had a rough road and best of luck to you! I know there are a few of us on here still waiting to hear back so you aren't alone!
 
Blessings in your pursuit

May you get a slot at AF, from your post you seem very focused and obviously have found your passion. Please keep us posted to your appointment!!:biggrin:
 
Thank you for sharing!

What a story....thank you so much for sharing with all of us....I hope that you will be a recipient of VERY GOOD NEWS in the very near future.

Best of luck!

Karen
 
Keep the Faith

Thanks for sharing your story. Good Luck!
 
So I got my waitlist letter today... Sad day but im not devastated. Its going to take me a while to get out of "application mode" which is the only way I was able to get this entire thing done in one month. I am still planning on staying in ROTC at Samford, but I will not be applying again for usafa admission. If i was accepted this year I would have started over as a freshman and lost this year of college and that would have been totally worth it, but in appyling again and going there as a freshman instead of Samford as a Junior and a POC and losing 2 years of college just isnt worth it. I am trying to keep the end goal in my mind...to commission and get my wings!
-J
 
Keeping the end goal in mind

So I got my waitlist letter today... Sad day but im not devastated. Its going to take me a while to get out of "application mode" which is the only way I was able to get this entire thing done in one month. I am still planning on staying in ROTC at Samford, but I will not be applying again for usafa admission. If i was accepted this year I would have started over as a freshman and lost this year of college and that would have been totally worth it, but in appyling again and going there as a freshman instead of Samford as a Junior and a POC and losing 2 years of college just isnt worth it. I am trying to keep the end goal in my mind...to commission and get my wings!
-J

Yes, I agree with your choice on not reapplying after having worked hard and earning 2 years of college. Some become so obsessed with just going but do not look at what is the end goal. You are obviously mature and know how to work through a situaution. Best wishes:biggrin:
 
oh nice story man! hopefully they will make some room for you so ill get the chance to meet you as a fellow '13 Cadet! If not, thats ok! As long as your content with your future and where you are at, thats all that matters! Good Luck!:thumb:
 
Wow such a great story. I hope that you get in. It seems like you want this very badly.


For those who have received appointments. Dont take it lightly. You are among an even smaller elite group and many people would die to be in your situation. You are blessed.:thumb:


-J
This put a smile on my face.
 
So today I ran into a freshman cadet at my AFROTC detachment on campus and he told me he was considering applying to the academy. This brought back a rush of memories about my application process. I remembered this forum and more specifically this post, so I figured I would come and find it and bump it in hopes that potential cadets applying this year would see the story.

On a side note, I am now a junior in the AFROTC program, went to field training last summer and graduated 1 of 22 (Top Gun!!) and I am presently putting together my pilot application package which will be complete and submitted this winter.

I SAY ALL OF THIS TO ILLUSTRATE... that even if you don't get that academy slot you want, like I didn't, it doesn't mean you can't be in the AF or be a future officer. Don't discount ROTC or OTS, it has been an incredible positive influence in my life.

-JL
 
Thanks for the follow-up and your leadership. I'd like to come back to this down the road...and find out your track select and drop during UPT.
 
It has been forever since I have been on this forum, but a lot has happened in my life pertaining to the USAF recently and I wanted to share it with you all.

Please realize that my intention of sharing my story is to inspire those who dont get picked up by the USAFA for whatever reason. I by no means think I am any better or worse than a USAFA cadet because I went ROTC.

So just a brief history:

  • I joined ROTC
  • Then applied for USAFA with my DETs nomination Freshman year
  • Was waitlisted by USAFA and never picked up
  • Graduated ROTC Feild Training - summer 2010
  • Selected as a AFCEA Scholarship winner to go on week long tour summer 2011 shadowing Gen. Gary North at PACAF

That brings me to where I am now... As A junior I was just notified that I was selected for rated pilot categorization! So all I have to do now is graduate and I will be off to Pilot Training!!!

NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS! I was told by the USAFA I wasnt good enough. Instead of quitting this motivated me that much more to be the best and prove them wrong. There are multiple paths to success.

If anyone on this forum wasnt picked up USAFA and needs info about ROTC. Please ask me!

-JL
 
It has been forever since I have been on this forum, but a lot has happened in my life pertaining to the USAF recently and I wanted to share it with you all.

Please realize that my intention of sharing my story is to inspire those who dont get picked up by the USAFA for whatever reason. I by no means think I am any better or worse than a USAFA cadet because I went ROTC.

So just a brief history:

  • I joined ROTC
  • Then applied for USAFA with my DETs nomination Freshman year
  • Was waitlisted by USAFA and never picked up
  • Graduated ROTC Feild Training - summer 2010
  • Selected as a AFCEA Scholarship winner to go on week long tour summer 2011 shadowing Gen. Gary North at PACAF

That brings me to where I am now... As A junior I was just notified that I was selected for rated pilot categorization! So all I have to do now is graduate and I will be off to Pilot Training!!!

NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS! I was told by the USAFA I wasnt good enough. Instead of quitting this motivated me that much more to be the best and prove them wrong. There are multiple paths to success.

If anyone on this forum wasnt picked up USAFA and needs info about ROTC. Please ask me!

-JL
JL,
that is an awesome story. I am so glad everything worked out for you and that you are willing to share your story. I am going to let DD read your story. She is going to join the the ROTC and start at a University, she wants to re-apply next year because her SAT scores were not competitive this year at all. So she has some things she can improve on, however I have told her there are many roads that lead to Rome. And you have just proven that what I told her to do is very real. Thank you for sharing your story. It is very inspiring for those just getting started.
 
So its been a bit since I have been on here and I know that it getting to that time of the year when these forums will start to heat up as many cadets await the results of USAFA selections being released.

I thought I would just give you guys an update on the alternate route (AFROTC) to the USAFA that I have taken.

If you are the type of person that aspires to get into the academy you can dominate ROTC. I hope this can inspire some of you that may get wait listed or rejected to look at your other options. For those of you that do get in, I hope this motivates you to value what you have been selected for and to not take it lightly.



SO... Since my last post in April some really exciting things have happened, check it out:

1. Spent a week in Honolulu, HI on all-expenses paid trip to shadow generals and colonels on base at Hickam AFB. This was probably the coolest week of my life.

2. Selected as lead cadet trainer to return to field training and run the summer boot camp that I attended as a cadet last summer. I was in charge of 25 other cadets selected to return as trainers. We oversaw a encampment of about 350 cadets over a 5 week period.

3. Started school as a senior. In early October I was notified that I have been selected for Euro Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training, or ENJJPT. This is a highly competitive (34 of the 500+ people selected for pilot slots) pilot training program where each nation send their best trainers and trainees. Check it out on Google for more info!

4. Currently I am applying for Cadet wing commander position at my detachment, putting together my national cadet of the year application packet and awaiting my activation date to leave for Sheppard AFB in Wichita Fall, TX after graduation this May!




DONT GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS! The USAFA is a great place, but there are great alternatives if USAFA doesnt work out for you.

I cant wait to meet you guys on Active Duty!!!

JL
 
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