Cadet wins top scholarship

  • Published
  • By Amber Baillie
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  A senior cadet here was recently awarded one of the most prestigious scholarships bestowed to U.S. college students each year, allowing him to study in England for two years after he graduates from the Academy next spring.

Cadet 1st Class Brad Hackert from Thomaston, Conn., was named one of the 2014 Marshall Scholarship winners Nov. 22, enabling him to pursue master's degrees in War Studies and Public Policy at King's College in London.

Hackert is the 15th Marshall Scholar from the Academy and first winner here from the Boston region in at least 14 years.

"Out of 160 applicants in the Boston region, only 20 were selected to interview and I was one of four to win from the region," Hackert said. "I was competing against students from Yale, Brown and Harvard."

Hackert said he hopes the opportunity will broaden his international perspective and strengthen the U.S. and U.K.'s special relationship.

"I'm looking forward to building the skills necessary for me to be an effective leader," he said. "I believe the relationship between our military and the British military is critical for our future endeavors. We tend to join together in whatever conflicts we find ourselves in. Continuing to build that tie with the U.K. is something I really want to do."

Hackert, 24, is a prior enlisted Airman who spent three years as a Mission Intelligence Coordinator for the MQ-1 Predator working combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The time I was enlisted had a profound effect on me," he said. "It provoked a fierce determination in me to understand the phenomenon of warfare and, if necessary, return to it as a leader better equipped to deal with its complexities."

Hackert said he found direction in life by joining the Air Force.

"As a young child I wasn't great in school," he said. "I failed second grade Math and English, and slurred the English language due to severe hearing loss. Hackert said his uncle, who was an Air Force chief, was his inspiration to join the military.

"The Air Force gave me purpose, structure in life and I became disciplined and regimented," he said.

Hackert ranks 8th in his class academically. He's been an Air Force Intercollegiate Track and Field Decathlete and founded "Cadets in Action Overseas," where he led a team of eight cadets in Japan and Haiti to provide humanitarian relief in the aftermath of the earthquakes. Hackert also established the "Knights Book Club," where he facilitated seminar-style discussions on modern warfare for 20 U.S. and international cadets.

"This is probably the best assignment the Air Force can give someone," Hackert said. "I'm very grateful to be able to attend graduate school and excited about the education and culture in England."

Hackert also plans to get involved with non-profit organizations while he's there, he said.
Forty Marshall Scholars are chosen each year nationwide. After Hackert completes the scholarship, he plans to pursue a career in Special Operations or become a pilot.
Schuyler Foerster and Brent Scowcroft, professor of national security studies here and Hackert's academic advisor, said the Marshall Scholarship marks the Academy as an outstanding educational institution, preparing serious students for serious careers in a serious profession.

"Cadet Hackert's story is a remarkable one," he said. "He is serious and determined, not just about his academics but also about the contributions he hopes to make in his military career. The Marshall Scholarship is an appropriate recognition of an outstanding scholar and professional who will undoubtedly make an outstanding contribution to our profession and to the nation."