David Higby has just recently taken the next steps in pursuing his career post high school. Each student takes a path that is unique to them, and for some students, that path is the one that offers the best job experiences. After dreaming of the Air Force since he was in middle school, Higby has passed all of his testing and is officially joining the Air Force to work on fighter jets for the next 4 years. Joining a part of the United States military is a frightening, yet rewarding choice. Higby discusses his feelings as he begins his journey into the U.S. Air Force. 

How are you preparing for boot camp/basic training? 

I am buying stuff that I can use during training that the Air Force allows me to use. I am working on training to meet the requirements I need to graduate from basic training. I am also reading about what it entails so that I know what to expect while I am there and to be better prepared for it.

What career are you pursuing within the Air Force?

I am pursuing Aviation Maintenance for Tactical Aircraft. I will be doing routine maintenance check ups, diagnostics, and trouble shooting for this job.

What kind of degree are you hoping to acquire? What will it take to receive that degree?

I am hoping to acquire my associates degree in aviation maintenance on tactical aircraft. This requires multiple months of schooling after bootcamp, before I am stationed at a base. After being stationed for 1 year, I can continue schooling and be done and graduate with my associates by the end of my 4 year term. This will carry out into civilian life once I am honorably discharged from the Air Force. 

What inspired you to join the Air Force?

When I found the passion for aviation maintenance, I explored multiple different career paths after high school, and the Air Force best appealed to what I wanted to do. It always appealed to me to serve my country just as both of my great grandfathers did. They fought in WWII and Vietnam and this has inspired me to live a fulfilling life as well. 

What goals do you hope to accomplish during your term?

I hope to make lots of memories, get a certified degree, travel the world, and live my life to the fullest. I have always wanted to learn and work on fighter jets and this path created a lot of new and exciting opportunities even outside of the air force. Whether it be more career opportunities or just basic life skills I will learn while serving my term.  

What aspect of training are you most nervous about? Excited about?

I am most nervous about the moral part of basic. There will be a lot of moral training where all they are going to work on is tearing me down to train me [to what] they want me to be. I am very excited about the actual training, doing all the exercises, and doing the survival training, learning a lot of things I would not learn if I were not to join the Air Force. 

What does it take to be a member of the U.S. Air Force?

You have to go through extensive training, a lot of testing, and be physically fit. The Air Force is one of the hardest branches to get into because you have to reach a certain score on your ASVAB and be smart enough to get in. The Air Force is harder because it is intellectually challenging and will continue into that in bootcamp. Compared to the other branches, the Air Force takes a lot more intellect to get considered for my job, specifically the mechanical and electrical positions. There are some jobs where I need a better score to be noticed so I had to work hard to even get into the Air Force. It was very tight and if I did not pass at all, I would not qualify. For my specific job I had to succeed on all areas of the hard tests and had to do above average on them. 

What can you do outside of the military with your degree?

With my specific degree there are a lot of jobs that I can continue as a career outside of the Air Force. Such as working for a military contracting company building the fighter jets that I will be working on while in the Air Force. And when going into the Air Force, it gives me military clearance to work more important and more classified jobs. 

What does an Air Force Mechanic do?

When in the Air Force, I will be maintaining, troubleshooting, and inspecting all aircrafts that need work. This requires me to have extensive knowledge about all aircrafts that I trained and studied for. 

What aircrafts are you hoping to work on?

I am hoping to work on any tactical aircraft. Specifically 5th Gen Fighter Jets such as the F-22 Raptors, F-16’s, and F-35’s. I like these aircrafts because there are more of these than any other military aircraft. It gives me a wider range of experience and skill that I can transfer to a career outside of the Air Force.