Cullen Bryant III
K Gladfelter
ENGL 1020
September 2012
The Life of a Student Airman As the Airman’s Creed begins, “I am an American Airman. I am a Warrior. I have answered my nation’s call.” Many students on campuses across this great nation have answered this nation’s call. Coming onto a year and a half now, I still remember the day that I signed my contract with the United States Air Force and what was running through my mind. As far as stability and structure in goes, being an Airman has changed many people in a tremendous way. It has changed many lives enough to where the majority of people that have joined have a different outlook on just about everything. The military has made many boys into men, and has turned girls many girls into women. However with that being said, there is a following of the responsibilities of being an adult. Sometimes the level of maturity student Airmen have had to rise up to correlates one with the other (college and Air Force). The amount of work piled up between the two worlds can be a bit overwhelming. Airmen in the United States Air Force Reserve have been said to have the worst time coping with stress, simply because it is one of the most stressful jobs in the United States. Balancing between being a student and a military member is a difficult lifestyle, and if anything, is misunderstood.
It is said that college can be one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. Anyone who is currently in, or has been in college would agree that it can be. Homework, lectures, notes, studying, essays, projects, and finals can be hard to balance. These are all examples of stresses to be found in college that are applied to almost every student walking through a campus. Some students have even more stresses than just class. Some students have children that they are trying to take care of while balancing classes. Some make their own way financially through college, which means getting a job. Thanks to the Air Force, a select few have fallen under the category of a student with a job. With many careers in the Air Force, there is a lot of training required. Much of this training is hands on, and opportunities are slim for certain tasks. One could only imagine getting a call at 3 a.m. being requested to pack their bags, get over to work, and never even think about complaining. This is just one of the many burdens to bear in a student Airman’s day to day. There are a lot of positive things to be said as well about being a student Airman. In training for an Airman’s specified job, there is follow-on training that occurs after basic training called Tech School. Tech School is almost like going to college, but everyone smells bad, the dormitories are cleaner, and everyone is wearing the same uniform. Regardless, there were similarities that could be pointed out between Tech School and being a student in college. Some people are out on their own without their parents for the first time, and the majority of people are complete and total strangers that have to get to know each other, just like college. Last but not least, classes become much harder than what is assigned in high school. With an increased level of difficulty in classes, new study habits have to develop with new students. Finances provided by the military are another bonus. The GI Bill provided to all service members provides military members with money to live on while they make their way through college. The GI Bill is a reward to any military member for getting good grades. The GI Bill is money issued by the military to its members when they are attending college. With money being handed out, however, there are requirements all military members must follow in order to be able to enjoy these benefits. Some requirements include, but are not limited to: making a 2.5 grade point average, keeping a clean permanent record, and taking a minimum of six credit hours per semester. The grade point average requirement is perhaps one of the biggest disciplinaries for GI Bill requirements. If there is not at least a 2.5 in all of the member’s classes, all money given towards classes will have to be paid back all at once. The net worth per semester provided by the GI Bill is worth thousands of dollars. More than anything, the thing that separates Airmen from the civilians is the brotherhood shared in the recently enlisted. The lower ranks have joined this proud branch in a time of war. Airmen are brought together in a way that no fraternity, club, or team will ever begin to understand. An airman is trained to be willing to take a bullet for the person next to them, regardless if he or she is known personally or not. Military members can identify each other in large crowds, simply because they know their own. It is all the same when any student Airmen sees each other walking down the sidewalk. Being a student Airman is bittersweet when the positives and negatives are compared. There are many stresses that come with having college and having military responsibilities. But in the end, the brotherhood, the money, and the honor of serving for this country is worth any problems or stresses that follow. On a personal note, I joined the United States Air Force so good, everyday citizens can go to sleep knowing that they can wake up to see the next day. Not everyone in other countries can say they have the same luxury. It is hard to understand, or be willing to put a life on the line, so that others may live, but it is something that only a student Airman can understand.