Cadets get taste of deployed life

  • Published
  • By Cadet 1st Class Shaina Thompson
  • Cadet Squadron 08
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Approximately 60 Air Force Academy cadets hit the ground in Southwest Asia June 18, seeing deployed operations firsthand and meeting deployed Airmen.

Cadets may participate in Operations Air Force between their sophomore and junior years at the Academy.

The program sends groups of cadets to Air Force bases for three weeks, where they follow officers in different career fields to gain an understanding of career responsibilities and interact with enlisted members to gain an unabashed view of leadership.

This glimpse of what many cadets refer to as the "real" Air Force is meant to develop the future officers and help them determine which career fields to put on their preference sheets. But some cadets who want even more experience apply to go on operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. If selected, they can visit a deployed location for a month and experience how the Air Force operates downrange.

Cadet 2nd Class Stephen Johnson of Cadet Squadron 17 is one of those broadening his perspective through the Deployed Ops program.

"With all the activity in the Middle East, I wanted to see for myself what's really going on," Cadet Johnson said. "Being able to talk to the professionals who are working in this environment allows me to better understand what's really happening."

The cadets can experience many different Air Force specialty codes, shadowing different officers each week. Cadet Johnson said he'd already met a multitude of people on base in the first two weeks of the program.

"I was exposed to the actual duty day and responsibilities of a B-1B (Lancer) pilot, a weapons officer, doctors and surgeons," he said. In addition, he learned "the importance of behind-the-scenes jobs like civil engineering, maintenance and equipment management in a deployed location."

Captain Thea Alli, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing protocol officer, is a 2006 Academy graduate who went through Operation Air Force during her own time at the Academy. Captain Alli was in charge of coordinating where the cadets spent their time on base during this year's program.

"It's a good opportunity for cadets to see what it's really like, and it's good for us to see what the future of the Air Force will look like since they will be lieutenants soon," Captain Alli said. "Some of the things I learned on Ops didn't make sense to me until years later. You take away more than you think."

This experience allows cadets to gain foresight on what they will be doing after graduation. Cadet 2nd Class Keegan Peckham from Cadet Squadron 06 said he has added tools to his leadership toolbox.

"I will take away how important it is to take every opportunity to help those that help you," Cadet Peckham said. "Take care of your people and they will take care of the job."