Thirty-five Airmen and two Sailors recently graduated from Tinker’s Airman Leadership School. Graduates are:
138th Logistics Readiness Squadron - Air National Guard
Senior Airman Katelyn Carlisle
552nd Air Control Networks Squadron
Senior Airman Lawrence Corson
Senior Airman Sean Armstrong
552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Senior Airman Noah Millerdenoble
Senior Airman Nolan Switanowski
Senior Airman Justin Zoch
Senior Airman Jovan Amaya, Distinguished Graduate and Freedom Citation Award
Senior Airman Justin Durso, Academic Achievement Award and Distinguished Graduate
Senior Airman Omar Hernandez
552nd Maintenance Squadron
Senior Airman Keegan Palasti
Senior Airman Michael Santos
Senior Airman Allen Smedley
Senior Airman Andrew Kaatman
Senior Airman Clay Mathews
Senior Airman Colt Melte
Senior Airman Isaac Brummett
Senior Airman Matthew Rodriguez
552nd MOF
Senior Airman Richard Wasylchak
552nd Operations Support Squadron
Senior Airman Ashleighann Tapia
Senior Airman Christopher Reeves
Senior Airman Jonathan Yoder
72nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron
Senior Airman Ma Lyzza Aina Ticzon
72nd Force Support Squadron
Senior Airman Kadine Atkinson
72nd Logistics Readiness Squadron
Senior Airman Manuel Munoz
72nd Security Forces Squadron
Senior Airman Austin Bannister
Senior Airman Joseph Tardiff
Senior Airman Victor Gordon
Senior Airman Denise Raygoza
960th Airborne Air Control Squadron
Senior Airman Whitney Corum, John L. Levitow Award
963rd Airborne Air Control Squadron
Senior Airman Johnathan Brake
964th Airborne Air Control Squadron
Senior Airman Steven Florence
965th Airborne Air Control Squadron
Senior Airman Benjamin Baumert
Senior Airman Aurora Allen
Senior Airman Ryan Luyk
966th Airborne Air Control Squadron
Senior Airman Nicholas Petersen
Strategic Communications Wing ONE
Petty Officer 2nd Class Shannon Clark, Leadership Award and Distinguished Graduate
Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FOUR
Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Garcia
Senior Airman Jovan Amaya
552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
The most frequently asked question in my career has always been, “Why did you join the Air Force?” I’m sure you’ve all been asked this as well, at some point. For whatever reason it may be, I feel as though there was one point in your career that you looked at a situation and said, “This is why I joined.” For me, there were two events that I felt patriotism the most.
The first was after basic training and I went on that parade field to show my family this transformation I would be embarking on. It was so significant for me because just three months prior my father had passed suddenly the day after I told him I enlisted. While that day felt like the end of a road, the day I graduated felt like the start of a new one.
The second moment in which I felt the most pride for joining was when I deployed for the first time. At home station you see the AWACS fly and may not see the work that is put into fixing or operating this airplane. One night at my deployed location stands out in particular. Four aircraft were not able to fly for various reasons, and I worked on three of them. In one 12-hour shift, I and every other maintainer out there worked from start to end to green up three of them. That morning when we sent one in the air was the most rewarding feeling. In that moment I remember saying aloud, “That’s why I’m here.”
I do what I do for the freedom of everyone at this base and, on a larger scale, in this country. How I define freedom is the gift of choice. The choice to do right by my wingmen every day. Not everyone is afforded the same choices as others. Some decide to get an education, or not. Some don’t get to say, “Oh, I think I’ll skip lunch today.” The fact that some are not afforded the choice that I have is part of the reason I choose to serve every day.
The other reason I choose to serve is for those that have lost their lives in service to this country. In both of those events in my life, I had one choice. Others may have seen alternatives, but to me, there was one. That choice was to commit and succeed in my mission. My choices lead to other people feeling their ability to choose. I was able to choose because of those before me. As the saying goes, “I only see as far as I do, because I stand on the shoulders of giants.” Now that I am in the shoes of a giant, I choose to grow to new heights so those after me can follow suit and see endlessly.