As I am writing my first blog entry, I am extremely nervous yet excited. Today I am making my first flight. I am sure if you are reading my blog, then you are somewhat interested in flying or getting into Air Force Officer Training School (OTS) or another military branch's officer training school. Well we have something in common then.
Let me start off from the beginning since this is my first post. I joined the Air Force back in 1999. I joined because I was from a very small "Podunk" town in East Texas by the name of Trinity. Well I actually lived closer to a town called Onalaska but that's beside the point. There really is not a lot to do in Trinity. I think all the towns I was close to had about a total of 10 traffic light all combined, Trinity having the most. I went to a school called Groveton High School which constantly had recruiters coming to it to visit. That's when I decided to join the Navy. "Navy?" you say, yes the Navy. I spoke with a recruiter and I was all ready to go get my physical. I was excited. I knew this is what I wanted to do.
The plan was that the Navy recruiter would drive 45 mins to my house to get me and then drive me 2 hours to Houston. He would drop me off at the Day's Inn and I would be awake at 5 a.m. to travel to a place called the Military Entrance Processing Station, otherwise known as MEPS. Guess what, I didn't go?
That day at school, I had told my best friend Marcus that I had planned on joining the Navy and that the recruiter was coming to get me that day. He informed me, and I still believe to this day that he thought he was telling the truth, that the Navy gives you a prostate exam. If you do not know what a prostate exam is, please Google it. That was the point I decided not to join the Navy. The recruiter still came to my house because we could not get in touch with him and when he arrived I told him that I did not want to go because there was no way that they were sticking their finger anywhere near you know where. He categorically denied that any of this would happen to me but Marcus had told me that the recruiter would tell me that and that once they got there, I wouldn't have a say so in the matter. Needless to say, the Navy lost a recruit that day.
Fast forward two years ahead, I joined the Air Force leaving my high school sweetheart in tears to join the United States Air Force. This was and still is the greatest decision I have ever made. I served 5 years, 9 months active duty time as an aircraft maintenance troop on the B-52H model at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. As every aircraft maintenance troop does, I complained everyday and thought the Air Force was a wash.
I got out to pursue my college education and will graduate this May with a degree in Philosophy. I will also be going to a board for Air Force Officer Training School with aspirations of being a pilot, hence the reason I created this blog.
I want this blog to represent my journey of getting in to OTS and to show those that are 27 year olds with two kids that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to as long as you are determined. I now have two kids and a very loving wife, who eventually supports me in anything I do after I convince her (sometimes it takes longer than others). I hope you enjoy my journey as much as I enjoy sharing it with you and please leave as many comments as you can. If you have questions, ask them. I have done my research and I will answer any questions in my next blog. I will try to update daily but will definitely update before and after I fly to share what I was thinking. Thanks for reading!
Stephen
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