I knew when applying for Air Force ROTC, there was a chance I would have to drop it. I knew that there was a chance I would be disqualified from the Air Force, and all service branches. Although the reality of it was a lot to handle. It was upsetting, heartbreaking, and something I didn't want to happen.
Throughout my five months in Air Force ROTC, it was stuck in the back of my mind that once the time came around for the medical exams, my chances of being able to make it through to field training and eventually commissioning were very slim. I didn't let this stop me from putting my all into the program. I still memorized all the knowledge, went to class, attended PT, and went to LLAB. I had motivation and hope that maybe I'd be able to get a waiver for the one medical condition that would disqualify me. Throughout the five months I have learned more about myself, developed my leadership skills, and pushed myself to break boundaries i had once set for myself.
To detachment 105, I thank you. Thank you for giving me a small community that was supportive and never stopped pushing me to do my best and live out the Air Force core values. Thank you for providing me with new friendships that I wouldn't have found otherwise at a brand-new school. Thank you for being the reason I wake up in the morning and for giving me motivation to go to school and get through whatever I had to face—academically and emotionally.
This semester has been the hardest for me in every aspect of my life. The one thing that kept me going was ROTC. It's difficult to think that after December, after this semester, I will no longer be a cadet but merely just a civilian. It is going to be a bittersweet feeling when I have to pack away my thunderchiefs polo, take off the PT uniform, and go back to wearing civilian clothes on Thursdays. As much as I hated putting layers of hair gel and hair spray in my hair to keep my bun in regs, I'll miss it. I'll miss the pressure at LLAB to do better. I'll miss being the cadet wing adjutant for the change of command. I'll miss having to be inspected every Thursday before LLAB began. I'll especially miss my flight.
To the Bravo Ballahs—thank you for always having my back. Thank you for being that source of motivation and for the morale event we had together. Thank you to C/Capt Shanley for helping me keep up with all of my memos and whatever else I needed when things seemed to go to pieces in my personal life. Thank you for being not just my flight commander, but a friend to me and my fellow wingmen. You treated us all like humans instead of just cadets you had to oversee.
It is difficult to admit, it is difficult to publicly be saying this, but after December I will no longer be an Air Force cadet. I'm truly thankful for everything detachment 105—the loud, proud, and legendary Thunderchiefs—has done for me this last semester.
