Tomorrow’s leaders get first-hand look at life after academy

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Cindy Dorfner
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England (AFPN) --  While most college students enjoy the summer out of school, U.S. Air Force Academy cadets use their break for a look into the future.

Operation Air Force sends cadets to Air Force bases worldwide to give them a taste of what life will be like when they become commissioned officers.

For the past two months, “firsties,” or seniors, and “two-degrees,” or juniors, visited Mildenhall and Royal Air Force Lakenheath for a three-week visit. The summer visits allow cadets to spend “real quality time with officers in their specific career interests,” said Capt. Matthew Lillis, Operation Air Force program coordinator here.

For many seniors, the trip solidifies their decision to choose the Air Force lifestyle, said Cadet Beth Jaszczak, a senior and future communications officer.

“I’m so excited to be a part of this (Air Force) community,” she said. “The past couple of weeks have made the Air Force seem more real. Before, I had a hard time figuring out what I would do each day (as an officer on active duty). Now I know there’s a lot to it.”

The trip even changed one cadet’s Air Force life. Cadet Rachel Johnson already had what draws many young adults to the academy –– a pilot slot. The senior wanted to fly fighters, especially the F-15 Eagle.

So going to Lakenheath, an F-15 fighter base, seemed to be the perfect fit. It seemed like a deal clincher when she had the opportunity to fly in an F-15. But instead, the orientation flight changed her mind.

“I just got a feeling that it wasn’t for me,” said Cadet Johnson, who now hopes to fly “heavies” -- either transport or cargo aircraft. “I think I would like the feeling of being part of a crew.”

Captain Lillis said experiences like these are what Operation Air Force is all about.

“The most important part of this program is giving the cadets a chance to see what happens when they leave the academy and come on active duty,” he said. “Growing (academy) cadets into outstanding officers ready to hit the ground running, I think, is one of the key aspects of this program.”

Senior Clay Couch, a future Air Force developmental engineer touring Lakenheath, is one of those cadets.

“Right now, if I could be a lieutenant, I would jump for joy,” he said. “But I know I need to prepare more. I’m going to use this last year in school to set and achieve goals, both academic and military.”

The exposure to Air Force life has also proved important for Cadet Brittney Perkowski. Before her first Operation Air Force trip, she did not know if she was going to commit to staying at the academy.

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay. But knowing there’s more to it than the Air Force telling me what to do for five more years opens my eyes,” she said, referring to the active-duty service commitment nonpilot graduates incur upon graduation.

“I didn’t know what it would be like to have people work for you who have worked their whole lives, who have so much more experience than you,” she said. “This visit made me realize I’ll really be working for the enlisted folks. They’ll teach me the different aspects of the Air Force -- about my job.”

Though Cadet Perkowski, along with the other juniors, doesn’t yet know the career field in which she will be working, she is no longer hesitant about the future.

“This has been a great help to understand what it means to be an officer,” she said. (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service)