Have a Great Air Force Day!!

Welcome to the Air Force! Well, welcome to me being in the Air Force anyways. After a year of paperwork, interviews and more paperwork, self doubt, tears, trepidation and refusal, I was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force on June 2, 2010. Just short of three months later I went to Alabama and went to Commissioned Officers Training for five weeks.

The five weeks of training were not all that demanding as far as the physical training were concerned. The demand was in the lack of sleep (four-five hours a night every night) and the mental requirements under that stress. Even with the "heavy directing" and "telling" of the instructors and TI's I genuinely had FUN those 5 weeks. I worked with a great group of 15 and enjoyed a lot of the classes. I left there sad to go but excited to get out and work in the "real" Air Force.

So what have I learned since joining the Air Force? A few frequently used terms you hear a lot:

1. Tracking-when one person asks another if they are both understanding each other. Used in a phrase: "Are we tracking?"

2. Low hanging fruit- meaning easy targets with the least amount of effort. Used in a phrase "That volunteer opportunity is low hanging fruit for advancement."

3.KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid-why make something more complicated than you need to?

4. High Speed low drag- a person who is extremely efficient used in a phrase "She's high speed low drag, you know?"

5. Shut up and color- keep your head down and do what you're told. ie. stop asking why and just do it.

6. Ace in the hole- a sure win, the one thing you can use for a guarantee win (whether in competition, an argument, battle or selling an idea)

7. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians- a perfect example of this would be COT (commissioned officer training)

8. outstanding- Whenever someone asks how you are you answer "outstanding, sir"

So more details later, this is just a poorly written, quick update to let you all know I am alive and mostly well.