Should we stay… or should we go?

MONTGOMERY, AL, UNITED STATES

09.09.2019

Courtesy Story

Air University Public Affairs

The idea for this article all started after seeing an online post my daughter, SSgt Monique Travis, shared about a conversation she and her husband Mykel had in regards to leaving the military. My daughter and son-in-law met while in college. They were both full-time, residential college students attending a notable university in Alabama. Both graduated from a traditional 4-year Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program. After graduation, Mykel went to work for the Pensacola, Florida Sports Association utilizing his college degree in Sports and Fitness Management. My daughter however, worked various jobs that were not directly related to her degree in Psychology. Frustrated with the job market, she went on to pursue a Master’s of Science (M.S.) degree. She graduated with a Master’s of Science in Strategic Communications from an accredited, reputable, university. Even after graduate school, Monique was still not able to find a decent paying job with benefits utilizing either areas of her expertise/education (Psychology or Strategic Communications).
Monique expressed a desire to join the military. She began researching military careers. Mykel was supportive but there were a lot of factors to consider before making the huge decision to become a military family. Once the decision was made to join the military, they had to decide on a branch of service and a job. Personally, I tried to persuade Monique to join the U.S. Navy as the Navy was offering her to become a commissioned officer. After Monique and Mykel discussed all options and considerations, they both thought the U.S. Air Force would be the best option for them. My daughter grew up as an “Air Force brat” as I served 26 total force years enlisted in the Air Force. Despite that fact, I didn’t try to sway her toward the Air Force because she already had her master’s degree and the Air Force didn’t have any officer accessions spots open to civilians at that time. Against the advice of her mother to join the U.S. Navy or wait for the USAF to open up officer boards to civilians again, Monique enlisted into the Air Force with a guaranteed job. She entered active duty, graduated Basic Military Training (BMT) with the highest honors, and attended technical training at the Medical Education and Training Center (METC) on Ft Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. She graduated technical training as a Biomedical Equipment Maintenance Technician (BMET) and did it earning the honor graduate award, highest in her class!
Fast forward 4 years and the end of her enlistment … my daughter and her husband, have a huge decision to make: should they stay a military family or separate from the USAF? Monique was offered many BMET civilian positions at traditional hospitals and government Veteran’s Affairs (VA) hospitals. That’s when Mykel had the realization and proclaimed: “Your Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is worth more than your master’s degree!” Monique now could find and get way more jobs with only listing her BMET CCAF on her resume than she could before, having the Bachelors and
Masters. Now we’re comparing apples & bananas so to speak as CCAF’s Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is a technical (hands-on) degree, where-as the B.S. and M.S. degrees are in “soft skills”. But wow, what a realization, and what a complement to CCAF and the fine occupational education and training received by Air Force Airmen!
After weighing their family’s priorities, Monique and Mykel decided to stay and remain an Air Force family. Monique re-enlisted in an aircraft, on the flight-line, symbolizing one-team, one-fight! The Community College of the Air Force is a great enlistment and retention tool! Not only do Airmen reap the education benefits while in uniform, the dividends are paid to our communities and country when Airmen separate or retire and return to civilian life.

• Date Taken: 09.09.2019
• Date Posted: 09.09.2019 14:53
• Story ID: 339055
• Location: MONTGOMERY, AL, US