Altus Air Force Base News

 

Altus Airman earns Academy Admission

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nathan Clark
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- --  Altus Air Force Base will be saying good bye to its second enlisted airman this year as he has been accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Tuan Nguyen, 97th Operation Support Squadron air traffic controller, will be attending the USAFA Preparatory School, beginning in July.

Nguyen enlisted in Houston, after graduating from high school in 2012. "I didn't have a plan for my life after high school and I though the military would be a good place to start," Nguyen said.

After a lengthy period of time in the Delayed Enlistment Program, he finally received word that he would soon be shipping out to basic military training and then to train as an air traffic controller.

"It wasn't my first choice," Nguyen said. "And my recruiter said the only way out of it was to terminate my contract, so I figured I'd give it a shot and see what happens."

His positive attitude helped him through basic training and technical training. Nguyen said he was nervous about being an air traffic controller because it is a very high stress career field, but he was able to overcome the challenge.

"During basic and tech school I was able to learn how to deal with the stress and I definitely needed that," Nguyen said. "As an air traffic apprentice, you have a lot of stress to deal with, but you learn how to adapt and how to handle the hard stuff and that will be something I'll be able to take with me to the Academy."

With an idea of what to expect at school, Nguyen is ready for the stress and other obstacles that will surely presented themselves.

"I didn't want to attend some college that was easy to get it into," he said. "I wanted a challenge. I know it's not only good for education, but it will teach me leadership and character development that not all colleges would do."

Though he planned on going to college at some point, it was his supervisor that brought up the Academy as an option.

"I thought it was a pretty cool opportunity," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jimmy Sweat, Nguyen's supervisor. "After getting the idea from an email, I suggested it to Nguyen. We did quite a bit of research, bouncing ideas back and forth since he said he was interested."

Nguyen met his first challenge when he started the application process.

"I had to get several different forms and letters of recommendations coordinate with my admissions officer and get ready for the fitness assessment," said Nguyen. "The hardest part was the fitness test. They give you the average score of the test, but not the minimum so you strive to do your best."

Though Nguyen has been at Altus almost a year, he said he's ready for a change in scenery and to get one step closer to becoming an officer.

"I'd like to major in mathematics, and I'm leaning towards being a pilot," Nguyen said.

Eager to get to the Academy, Nguyen is going to miss some things in Altus. "I'm going to miss my co-workers; my leaders are great, my supervisor really pushed me and helped finalize my decision," he said. "This is my first military family and I won't forget them."

"We expect him to excel and do well," said Sweat. "He's a very bright individual. He's great for the Air Force and doing this will help him grow and be able to step up, given his experience. We've talked about being humble and one way to be a good leader is to be a good follower."

With the support of his family at home and his military family, Nguyen is hopeful for what is to come.

"I'm glad I'm in the military. It's pushed me out of my comfort zone and to do things I normally wouldn't as a civilian. I don't think I would have applied to the Academy if I wasn't in the military and I want to thank everyone who's supported me so far and will continue to support me."