A New Chapter

Well, another year another chapter. Things are changing and looking up.

First and foremost, I am joining the U.S. Air Force. I've been talking to a recruiter for a little while and we've both been holding up our ends of the deal for my enlistment. I have lost significant weight at staggering rates due to my determination to make something of myself and give back to my country.

In the past year, I have realized that I've reached a point in my life where I've grown used to and comfortable with mediocrity and not actually living life. I wasn't motivated to do anything, I didn't really believe in myself, and I only did what it took to get Cs in school. It took me a little while to see how lame that is. And that I can do so much better.

 With things like this in my mind:



I have changed my life. My new motto echoes in my mind, "Yes I can. And yes I will." I have made great progress since my lazy days of sitting around and doing nothing and not working for anything.

I walked over 6 miles and still felt unstoppable afterward.

Graph of my weight loss

Shaved that beard off and some pounds too.

I feel pretty good about all this.

I've changed so much, that everyone I know can't even believe it. I'm changing from the inside out. Starting with the mindset, and working outward to the physical appearance. I've even changed all my wallpapers and social media banners.

And so, the quest to join the Air Force has had an overall positive effect on my life. I'm very excited about it. I've memorized the Airman's Creed and the Air Force song. And the Three Core Values of the Air Force. I quite like those actually.

Integrity First
Service Before Self
Excellence in all we do

It's been a heck of a challenge actually getting in where I am so far. Many recruiters of the Air Force don't seem to care to show up to the Armed Forces Recruiting offices. (As you'd expect, the Marines are always there, every single time.) Finally the original recruiter was willing to work with me. The first time I went to see him, my weight was above the qualifying limit. I weighed nearly 220 lbs. The next time I saw him (a little over 2 weeks later), I weighed 202 lbs. That's what I call 'holding it down'. He immediately scheduled me for the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery), which is an aptitude test for finding out which jobs in the US military I qualify for academically.

96. That's my score. The highest possible score is a 99. Needless to say, my recruiter and every person I know is ecstatic. Including me. This score means that I am definitely academically qualified to do ANY job in the Air Force. I'd like to either be a linguist (minimum enlistment 6 years, 2 year tech school) or a computer systems programmer. I get to submit a list of 10 jobs that are available and the Air Force chooses which one they want me to do. The jobs I want to do are on the list of jobs that are in demand, so I should be fine. Next up is get that appointment to process at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and finally get into the Delayed Entry Program. Date to ship out to Basic Military Training date should come at the end of MEPS, if I remember right.

And no, joining the Air Force does NOT mean that I have given up on my goals of finishing my Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. I'm going to do that for free while in the Air Force.

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Another update: In case you all didn't know, I am a Brother of Alpha Phi Omega at UMBC's Alpha Zeta Pi Chapter.

From last semester's camping trip

We are a national co-ed service fraternity.

From the End of the Year Banquet

This past Spring Semester, I was determined to try to get out and be more social and to try to do well. I talked to a lot of the groups and clubs and other fraternities on campus. I chose APO because the brothers are all totally awesome. It's co-ed and so most of my brothers are girls. I think that's really cool. We're all about Leadership, Friendship, Service. We like to do service to the campus, community, fraternity and the nation. Doing service projects and hanging out with my brothers this past semester has been so awesome. A big downside to joining the Air Force is that I won't see these awesome people nearly as often anymore. But I'm sure we'll keep in touch and find ways to chill on my off time.