Some Motivation and Thank You!

Evers790

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
28
Hi everyone,

I just wanted to come on here to tell my story and extend my thanks and some motivation for the new generation of future officers.

My past is in AFROTC and after 4.5 long years of work I can gladly say I commissioned and achieved my dream of becoming an Air Force officer. During my time in college I overcame a lot of hurdles between school work, family troubles, and financial issues. However, I remembered watching my brother going through pilot training and what he does now and knew I wanted to do that so I kept pushing.

I had this attitude on the outside that I was going to be an officer first, but deep down I just wanted to be a fighter pilot and nothing else. Come time for rated slots to come out, I was offered an RPA slot. I spent a good 6 months ( and on occasion still do) wondering what I may have done that kept me from getting a pilot slot. “Did I not have a good enough GPA? Should I have retaken the AFOQT?” While my childhood dream has always been to be a fighter pilot like my brother I remembered something he told me, “I am not a pilot, I am an officer that wears a cool green jump suit.” While I completely understand people wanting to get a specific job and I know I just wanted to be a pilot. There came a point my last semester of senior year in which I realized not everything goes as planned, things are not nearly as bad as they seem, and there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

My detachment started with 50 freshman.... I commissioned with 3. Jump forward to my commissioning ceremony, I looked out at my family and friends who have been there by my side during this journey. I looked to my right at my best friends that I had made during ROTC and remembered all the stuff we had been through together. My brother, my biggest role model, gave me my oath of office. My best friend who is a SSgt in the ANG gave me my first salute. It was at this point I realized that no one cared about if I received a pilot slot or not, they were just proud I was part of something bigger than myself and that I had signed up to be a leader in the worlds greatest Air Force.

I apologize for this long winded post. I know I have annoyed a lot of you on here with questions for the past 4 years (sorry Pima and bullet) . I just wanted to thank all of you for your helpfulness whenever I had no idea what I was doing. Between LASIK, FT, AFOQT, TBAS and god knows what other questions. I am happy to say that I am one of those ROTC kids that is now a 2nd LT. I still plan on applying for UPT down the road and plan on getting flight hours, retaking AFOQT and kicking a$$ in my new position, but I am incredibly blessed to be in this situation no matter what the future holds.

Thank you all!!
 
It's a great post! You've overcome hardship with character. Your future is bright.

All the Best!
 
With that positive and adaptive approach, you will succeed! Best wishes for a fulfilling journey. Classy touch to drop a note.
 
What a gracious and introspective post. Thank you, Evers790. You are clearly a mature and thoughtful young officer.

Should be required reading for all candidates to academies and ROTC. A clear affirmation that the endgame is to serve our country as an officer, and that getting fixated on a single role can be narrow-minded and counterproductive.
 
It was at this point I realized that no one cared about if I received a pilot slot or not, they were just proud I was part of something bigger than myself and that I had signed up to be a leader in the worlds greatest Air Force.

The OP embodies what "service before self" is all about. Awesome post.
 
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