Page 4 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 8-7-15

Aug. 7, 2015 SPOTLIGHT Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
4 www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb

Attitude guides Airman in tough situations

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PEDRO MOTA

56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

“A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive

thoughts, events and outcomes.”

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role in the life of Airman 1st Class Ryan Holland, 56th

Civil Engineer Squadron engineering technician.

Holland was born 20 miles south of St. Louis, Missouri,

in a quiet little town where he spent some of his time

four-wheeling near rivers and lakes.

“It was the type of town where everybody knew each

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and would know 15 to 20 people right off the bat. Personally

I enjoyed playing basketball with my friends the most.”

He didn’t only enjoy it he was good enough to get a bas-

ketball scholarship to attend and play for Mineral Area

College. Then a sudden life-changing event occurred that

tested his attitude and ambition to succeed.

“Half way through training camp I tore my anterior

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but lost my scholarship. I had to look for a new path.”

Unable to afford college, he searched for a new direction.

He went to a Navy recruiting station with his brother and

found being in the military the best option. I went home

to think about what branch to join and remembered how

my parents raised me to live by the core values that the

Air Force has,” Holland said. “After talking to my uncle,

who had served as a crew chief in the Air Force, I decided

to go with the Air Force.”

Holland now works as an engineering technician who

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maintains data consisting of infrastructure, pavements,

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´7KLV FDUHHU ÀHOG ZDV VRPHWKLQJ , ZDQWHG WR SXUVXH using AutoCAD, and maintains data consisting of infrastructure, pavements, and utilities for Luke Air Force Base.

in the Air Force because I have always been interested

in construction, dealing with math and angles,” Holland Holland said he is currently pursuing a bachelor’s “Hopefully that goes well,” he said. “If it doesn’t, I’ll
VDLG´,ÀJXUHGWKLVZDVDJRRGFDUHHUIRUPHDQG,WDNH degree in sports management through Grand Canyon continue my career in the Air Force, stay in for 20 years
a lot of pride in my work. I also appreciate the structure University and wants to earn his commission as an Air and retire. Once I’m done, I plan to pursue my life-long
and military aspect of the Air Force.”
)RUFHRIÀFHU dream of becoming an athletic director.”

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