Cadets deploy as part of Operation Air Force

  • Published
  • By Capt. Angelic Dolan
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) --  Twenty United States Air Force Academy cadets deployed here for a month as part of Operation Air Force, an annual program that places cadets at operational Air Force bases throughout the world for career shadowing, mentoring and familiarization.

The program provides the cadets a unique opportunity to learn about the active duty Air Force from a deployed environment and exposes them to career-specific experiences through internship and mentorship, according to Capt. Sean Lovell, the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing antiterrorism officer.
"The program brought the cadets to the Persian Gulf region to broaden their knowledge of the Air Force and make them well-rounded officers," Captain Lovell said. "It also gives them perspective on other career fields."

Cadets shadow Airmen in different career fields and interact with officers and the enlisted corps in mentoring sessions, he added.

"This is an opportunity for us to develop and mentor these soon-to-be officers," he said. "Not every cadet gets the opportunity to deploy. Cadets in their senior year were handpicked after several records reviews and interviews. These cadets are in the top percent of their class." 

The cadets have to meet the same deployment requirements as any other Airmen entering the region.  

"We are an expeditionary force, and it is important for the cadets to understand that concept instead of graduating and heading to their assignment and then deploying," Capt. Lovell said. "This gives the cadets the opportunity to understand what we do in the area of responsibility and what our mission is here as an expeditionary force. They will get the first-hand knowledge and experience in the AOR."

Cadet 1st Class Selena Rodts said by participating in this program she gets more of an insight on how the Air Force operates in a deployed environment, giving her a more hands-on experience.

"We have teachers who deploy and come back and tell us their experience and what to expect, but you never really know until you experience it for yourself," she added. "That is why we are here. I look forward to what we will be learning in the next couple of weeks."