Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Theodore Daigle | U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Alicia Thomas, 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs...... read more read more
Leaving BMT and heading to tech school can be one of the most exciting transitions in an Airman’s journey. You get to trade in the title “trainee” for “Airman” in the world’s greatest Air Force.
My transition felt euphoric- until everything changed on the morning of June 11th.
Before I started class, I had spent the previous ten days acclimating to Fort Meade, Maryland, bonding with my fellow wingmen, and mentally preparing for what I thought was the next chapter.
So when I stepped into the schoolhouse that morning, that preparation collapsed.
“You don’t have a spot in this course.” I thought I misheard what the lady checking us into our class said. Unfortunately, those words kept pounding in my brain the entire day as I spoke to some instructors, my chain of command, and my fellow wingmen about what was happening.
As every other person was handed laptop bags and fancy camera gear, I was handed nothing—no resolution, no plan. I felt like my career was over before it started because I didn’t know if or when I was going back.
That’s when I learned the discrepancy in my orders going to BMT wasn’t just a tiny error. It was a setback that meant I had to pack up my things and return home until further notice.
That “further notice” became what felt like the longest and most discouraging two months of my life. Being back home in Houston while my peers got to be in class hurt.
The isolation stung. I felt forgotten and even defeated, and I wondered if I had a place in the Air Force anymore.
Until I got a phone call.
It was one of my MTLs, one I had known only for 10 days. She didn’t have updates, but she had encouragement. “I’m excited for your return,” she said.
That simple message reminded me that I hadn’t been left behind entirely. That someone still believed in my journey even when I couldn’t believe in it myself.
That phone call was it for me. When I returned to Fort Meade in August, I decided I wasn’t going to let the anger or self-doubt from June hold me back.
I took on not one but two student leadership positions, supported my classmates, and made the most of every opportunity that was handed to me there.
Because in the Air Force, resilience isn’t about avoiding adversity. It’s about how you respond to it.
It’s about finding strength in moments of uncertainty, showing up when it’s easier to quit, and choosing to adapt instead of giving up.
To every junior enlisted Airman facing a delay, a no, or a moment of doubt, try to understand this: your story isn’t over. You’re not off course. You’re building resilience. And that strength will carry you further than you can imagine.
| Date Taken: | 04.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.18.2025 11:45 |
| Story ID: | 495668 |
| Location: | BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 738 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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