Senior Airman Randy McPhee isn’t your typical Air Force Reserve junior enlisted Airman.
The 42-year-old 307th Logistics Readiness Squadron ground transportation specialist has a quiet confidence honed by more than a decade of service in his civilian role as a supervisor in the U.S. Department of Justice.
His journey into the Air Force Reserve is as unique as his background.
“I have a daughter at LSU who is headed to law school, and I wanted her to look into the military,” said McPhee, a slight accent revealing his upbringing in the Bahamas.
He began digging deeper, hoping to help his daughter capitalize on extra education benefits the state offers residents.
“She finally looked at me and asked, ‘If the benefits are so good, how come you never joined?’” McPhee said, smiling at the memory. “What was I going to say at that point?”
Duly challenged, McPhee set out to learn more, sure his age would prohibit him from enlisting.
He was mistaken.
The enlistment age limit was raised to 42 in 2023, making McPhee eligible.
So, McPhee enlisted and spent the next several months in the 307th Bomb Wing Development and Training Flight (DTF) learning to march, take orders, and report along with other enlistees half his age.
Master Sgt. Ashley Henderson, 307th Bomb Wing DTF coordinator, said McPhee’s desire to serve and learn was key to his successful acclimation to the Air Force Reserve.
“All the trainees ask lots of questions, but his questions always seemed to lead to great, in-depth discussions that helped everyone in the flight,” she said.
For McPhee, a willingness to learn in the DTF was critical, knowing that life experience wasn’t going to be enough to prepare him for life in the Air Force Reserve.
“It taught me customs and courtesies, rank structure, marching, and physical training (PT) requirements, all things I didn’t know a great deal about,” he said. “It gave me an advantage and allowed me to help my fellow Airmen at Basic Military Training (BMT) and technical school who didn’t get to attend a DTF.”
McPhee also realized he could still learn more about leadership from Henderson.
“She understands her job, but she also understands people, which is rare,” said McPhee.
McPhee’s DTF knowledge and maturity drew in fellow Airmen during BMT, who came to him for advice on everything from personal finance to dealing with homesickness.
Unbeknownst to McPhee, those Airmen were praising him in letters home to parents and loved ones.
“At graduation, I was surprised when parents came up to me and thanked me for being a father figure to their sons,” he said. “I hadn’t thought much about it during BMT because there were just so many of them.”
That kind of selfless mentorship earned McPhee Honor Graduate status at BMT.
He followed up on that achievement at technical school, earning Distinguished Graduate honors as he learned to drive everything from forklifts to buses.
“Earning Honor Graduate and Distinguished Graduate honors are remarkable,” Henderson said. “No other trainees has accomplished that during my time here.”
The departure from supervising federal agents to driving commercial vehicles made perfect sense for McPhee, since the school fit into his civilian timeline.
“I’ve always had an interest in logistics, so being a ground transportation specialist lets me learn more about that,” he said.
McPhee’s journey from leading teams at the DOJ to driving commercial vehicles for the 307th Bomb Wing, and the accolades earned along the way, all stemmed from his own desire to lead by example.
But did that get his daughter to join?
Not yet, and McPhee is completely satisfied with that.
“I’m encouraging her, but I don’t want her to do it unless she is 100% willing to,” he said.
Regardless of that outcome, McPhee has no regrets about joining the military.
“Just pulling up for physical training at the base gym during DTF filled me with a huge sense of patriotism,” he said. “It’s been an honor to serve.”