Air Force ROTC commissions four new second lieutenants
by Michelle Saport |
Four alumni of UAA's Air Force ROTC program received commissions into the U.S. Air Force. Pictured from left to right, the new second lieutenants are Keith Thompson, Brenden Wehde, Franklin Durr and Ambrose Morris.
The University of Alaska Anchorage's Air Force ROTC program recently commissioned four second lieutenants into the United States Air Force. Lieutenants Franklin Durr, Ambrose Morris, Keith Thompson, and Brenden Wehde all successfully completed the Air Force ROTC program at Detachment 001 after years of dedication to academics, physical fitness, and leadership training.
"I have been working on this chapter in my life for the past 5 years," said Lieutenant Durr, "I'm ready to see where the next chapter takes me."
Lieutenants Durr and Morris are headed to Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi to attend Undergraduate Pilot Training while lieutenants Thompson and Wehde will be stationed at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida to attend Combat Systems Officer training. "Each of these lieutenants has dedicated years of their lives preparing to become future leaders in our Air Force," noted Detachment 001's Operations Officer Major Zach Eagle. "These guys are heading out into some of the most rigorous training the Air Force has to offer, but I'm completely confident that they will excel, just as they have here in our detachment."
Through ROTC, the newly commissioned lieutenants learned everything from how to wear their uniforms to leadership, followership, and a better understanding of national security issues facing the country. Lieutenant Morris noted that, "One of the things I'll remember most from ROTC is the problem solving process. This process will help me in almost every area of my active duty life and I am excited to apply it to future problems the Air Force throws my way."
Lieutenant Durr was awarded with the honor of Distinguished Graduate. Distinguished Graduates of the Air Force ROTC program are among the top 10 percent of their peers nationwide. "While lieutenant Durr has the honor of Distinguished Graduate, all of these lieutenants have competence, confidence and character to be great leaders in our Air Force," reflected Detachment Commander, Lt. Col. Matt Beer. "Today really is special, because from here forward these young men will join a long line of trusted officers in our United States Air Force."
Story by Major Zach Eagle, Detachment 001 Operations Officer
"Air Force ROTC commissions four new second lieutenants" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.