To The Air Force and Beyond!

Before I graduated high school, I had gone on trips to college campuses, taken the SAT and ACT. I was never an exceptional student. I was average. I did not receive any scholarships and didn't think I could afford college. My high school counselor asked me if I would be interested in joining the armed forces. I thought about it and the first branch that came to mind was the Air Force.

I knew my Grandfather had served in the Air Force during World War II and decided I would go talk to a recruiter. My Mom and I went to Greenville, TX to the Air Force recruitment office. The officer there told me all about the Air Force and it seemed like a good place to start. I signed up and would enlist a month after my high school graduation not giving college a second thought.

The enlistment date was finally here and I said goodbye to my family and rode the Greyhound bus out of Greenville, TX to Dallas, TX. I unloaded and walked into the Dallas MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) where they poked, prodded, and vaccinated me. After a night's rest, I was sent to the airport where I flew to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. It's all a blur but for five weeks I learned to be a soldier of the Air Force.

Before graduating, we were put into a room where we would decide where we would like to be stationed and what career we wanted to pursue. I really wanted a computer programming job but they had me take a test with nothing but geometric shapes which I must have failed miserably :) I'm not sure they wanted me to be a programmer. So I decided on a Command and Control Specialist. I was also given the opportunity to give $100 a month of my small paycheck for a year for the G.I. Bill. I had never heard of it and almost decided I didn't need it. Luckily the instructors highly advised doing it so I went ahead and took it. If you ever join the armed services, make sure you get the G.I. Bill. Back then you gave $1200 over a year and you would get enough money for a four year degree to use for college.

After graduating from basic training, I attended tech school where I learned how to be a Command and Control Specialist. I got my orders to go to Iceland. I was young and didn't want to be that far away from my family (not to mention I hate being cold) so I traded with a guy for Altus Air Force Base, OK where I served for the rest of my term. Oh how I wish I would have kept Iceland :P

After getting out of the Air Force, I utilized my G.I. Bill package and went to college where I learned to be a fine computer scientist.

Lessons learned through my career in the Air Force:

• Find out what career you want to pursue before joining the armed services. Study it so that any test they throw at you, you will pass.
• If you are a guy, shave your head before you get to basic training!
• Spend the money for the G.I. Bill!
• Travel the world if they want to take you there. Don't settle for a stateside term.
• Look into taking college courses while enlisted. Don't wait to get out and then go to college. You get a good portion of the tuition paid for while you are enlisted.
• If you enjoy the armed services, go the whole nine yards and retire. Great benefits!