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My first year in the Air Force

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Amber Kelly-Woodward
  • 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  September 11 was my one year anniversary in the Air Force.

For some, that may seem small. For me it was pretty monumental because, although it went by fast, I experienced a lot.

I had always dreamed of going to college and worked hard to get accepted into a good school. When the time had come to go to college, I made a last minute decision to join the military, like most of my family members, instead.

I joined the military to be different. This would set me apart when applying for a job against others who attended college immediately. Furthermore, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it after hearing about my family members' experiences.

While in basic military training, I was motivated to do well and for the most part I did, except for one problem. I was unable to do push-ups correctly. After being in my first flight for three weeks I was recycled back to first week and I was disappointed in myself.
Thanks to a few good Wingmen, I improved my push-up abilities but was still unable to pass my test. This caused me to get put into Get Fit, a flight that focuses on physical training for Airmen who need help passing their physical training test. Again I was disappointed, but I met Wingmen I am still friends with.

After 10 weeks of basic training, I finally graduated.

I did not realize it then, but my extra time in basic training made me truly understand the value of being an Airman and appreciate it more than I would have had I gone through it the normal way.

Then I went to technical school where it was a complete 180-degree turn. I loved my tech school at Fort Meade, Md. While in tech school I was a drill master, head mentor and graduated in the top of my class to be an outstanding Airman.

Next came time for my first duty station at Scott. I can recall walking up the stairs to my dorm room and thinking this is finally the moment I have been working for all along.

Since being at Scott, I have continued my dream of going to college in pursuit of my degree.

I have also learned discipline, financial responsibility and integrity. I have met so many people from all walks of life who have had amazing experiences in their careers.

Most importantly, I have gained a sense of pride.

The first time I went back home to California I saw my father, a Marine of 27 years, cry because he was proud of me. I have also had friends say they were proud of me.

A year ago I thought I was making the wrong decision by not going to school, but I see that I am experiencing more than most of my friends back home are. Sometimes it is easy to forget how proud other people are on base because everybody is in the military. It is when I go out and other people thank me for what I am doing, that it begins to set in.

I did not know what I was getting myself into when I joined the military. It was definitely a bumpy start for me, but I see that I have made a good decision. I have several options ahead of me whether I want to stay enlisted, commission or do something else, but in any case, I will never forget my first year and how hard I worked to be an Airman.