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2 August 14, 2015 www.aerotechnews.com/marcharb
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THEBEACON It’s never too late to restart

9ROXPH1XPEHU by Senior Airman Christine Fannin changed my first name from Airman back 86$LU)RUFHSKRWRLOOXVWUDWLRQE\6WDII6JW
WK$LU5HIXHOLQJ:LQJ to Christine. $GDP&%RUJPDQ
452 AMW Public Affairs
QG6WUHHW%OGJ Our Air Force stories are as unique I went on with my life, but every 6HQLRU$LUPDQ&KULVWLQH)DQQLQWK
0DUFK$5%&$ as our fingerprints. For me, it started in birthday, I would reflect back on the pre- )RUFH6XSSRUW6TXDGURQUHÀHFWVRQ
DPZSDZRUNÀRZ#XVDIPLO 1996, I was 20 something years old, and vious year. The military was always one KHUOLIHDIWHUOHDYLQJWKH$FWLYH'XW\$LU
knew I had to change my choices or I of those thoughts I would linger on. I felt )RUFHFRPSRQHQW7KURXJKRXWKHU
ID[ would end up exactly like everyone else. the Air Force was still part of my unfin- \HDUEUHDNLQVHUYLFH)DQQLQDOZD\VIHOW
SKRQH I feared I would get some college, but not ished business and I wanted to explore it WKDWVRPHWKLQJZDVPLVVLQJLQKHUOLIH
complete it, get married, have 2.5 kids in further detail. VKHUHDOL]HGLWZDVKHUXQLIRUP7RGD\
&200$1'(5 and never leave Florida. VKHDJDLQVHUYHVKHUFRXQWU\DVVLJQHG
&RO5XVVHOO0XQF\ On my 38th birthday, I decided to take WRWKHWK$LU5HIXHOLQJ:LQJ0DF'LOO
I heard through a friend of a friend, a chance. I made a call that again changed $LU)RUFH%DVH)OD
38%/,&$))$,562)),&(5 that one of my high school classmates my course. I called that magical 800 num-
&DSW3HUU\&RYLQJWRQ joined the Air Force. I knew if she could ber for the U.S. Air Force Reserve. It is never too late to start your story over
do that, so can I. I found the nearest re-
(',725 cruiter and filled out all the necessary pa- There were a few questions that I or begin another adventure. If a person nev-
0V/LQGD:HO] perwork. I took all the appropriate tests never expected to get past because if even
and Military Entrance Processing Sta- one of them would have been answered er asks the question, then the answer will
$0:(',725,$/67$)) tion, better known as MEPS, was on the no, I would not be in the uniform I wear
6HQLRU0DVWHU6JW'DYLG6PLWK calendar for January, 1997. I said good today. Those questions were: Am I eli- never be yes. Why not push the envelope,
0DVWHU6JW0HJDQ&UXVKHU bye to family and friends, dropped my car gible to join? Can I have the AFSC that
6WDII6JW+HDWKHU&R]DG6WDOH\ off with my parents and off I went into the I want? Can I serve at MacDill Air Force learn a new task, meet a different group of
6WDII6JW7LIIDQ\/LQGHPDQQ wild blue yonder. Base, Florida?
6HQLRU$LUPDQ&DOOLH0F1DU\ people and begin your future today?
6HQLRU$LUPDQ.HYLQ0LWWHUKRO]HU From that day on, my life took drastic The answer was yes. So, at 38-years-
6HQLRU$LUPDQ-RVHSK'DQJLGDQJ changes that I could not have been pre- old with a 12-year break in service, I
6HQLRU$LUPDQ5XVVHOO0F0LOODQ pared for; it’s exactly what I needed. I swore into the U.S. Air Force Reserve on
got through Basic Military Training and August 28th, 2013.
7KH %HDFRQ LV SXEOLVKHG E\ before graduating from technical school,
$HURWHFK1HZVDQG5HYLHZ$HUR- I found out my first duty station would I truly believe we are put here on this
WHFKLVDSULYDWH¿UPLQQRZD\FRQ- be RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom. planet to live, explore and push ourselves be-
QHFWHGZLWKWKH86$LU)RUFHXQ- While stationed there for three years, I yond our own expectations and limits. With
GHUH[FOXVLYHZULWWHQFRQWUDFWZLWK met some amazing people, some of which this philosophy, I do not want to have any
WKH QG$LU 0RELOLW\ :LQJ 7KLV I still know today, 18-years later. chances at living unturned or unfinished.
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SDSHULVDQDXWKRUL]HGSXEOLFDWLRQ In those three years, I got married The military with the rules and mili-
for employees and members of and had a beautiful little girl. I knew it tary bearing, along with being part of less
86PLOLWDU\VHUYLFHVUHWLUHHVDQG was time to make some more changes for than one-half percent of the population
IDPLO\PHPEHUV&RQWHQWVDUHQRW my new family. I made a very hard deci- that answered the call left a lasting im-
QHFHVVDULO\ WKH RI¿FLDO YLHZV RI sion, but felt it was important to move on pression on me. Each civilian job I landed
RUHQGRUVHGE\WKH86*RYHUQ- from the Air Force and return to civilian after the military was because of what I
PHQWWKH'HSDUWPHQWRI'HIHQVH status. As I signed on the dotted line to learned while serving.
RUWKH'HSDUWPHQWRIWKH$LU)RUFH exit one of the most memorable rides I’ve
ever had, I paused, only for a second, as I Today, I am an Active Reserve Techni-
7KH DSSHDUDQFH RI DGYHUWLV- cian assigned to the 927th Force Support
LQJ LQ WKLV QHZVSDSHU LQFOXGLQJ Squadron force management section of the
LQVHUWVRUVXSSOHPHQWVGRHVQRW 927th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill AFB.
constitute endorsement of the I am proof we can always course correct.
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SDUWPHQWRI'HIHQVHWKH'HSDUW- VA launches new no-cost training programs
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1HZVDQG5HYLHZ,QF Programs Designed to Help Transition- VA launched the VECI program in response
ing Servicemembers and Veterans Develop to President Obama’s August 2014 challenge
(YHU\WKLQJ DGYHUWLVHG LQ WKLV New Skills and Credentials (www.va.gov) to help Veterans and families integrate with
QHZVSDSHU VKDOO EH PDGH DYDLO- their communities and find meaningful jobs
DEOHIRUSXUFKDVHXVHRUSDWURQ WASHINGTON – The Department of that can lead to economic success. Under VA
DJHZLWKRXWUHJDUGWRUDFHFRORU Veterans Affairs (VA) August 5 launched Secretary Robert McDonald’s MyVA trans-
UHOLJLRQVH[QDWLRQDORULJLQDJH two new no-cost training programs, Accel- formation, VECI is now in place in cities
PDULWDOVWDWXVSK\VLFDOKDQGLFDS erated Learning Programs (ALPs) and VA across the United States.
SROLWLFDO DI¿OLDWLRQ RU DQ\ RWKHU Learning Hubs, to help transitioning Ser-
QRQPHULWIDFWRURIWKHSXUFKDVHU vicemembers and Veterans from all eras “My message to transitioning Service-
XVHURUSDWURQ learn skills, earn credentials, and advance members is simple: Plan early and stay en-
in civilian careers following separation gaged, because transition is the mission,”
(GLWRULDOFRQWHQWLVHGLWHGSUH- from service. said McDonald. “These two new resources
SDUHG DQG SURYLGHG E\ WKH VWDII provide no-cost opportunities for our tran-
RI WKH QG $LU 0RELOLW\ :LQJ ALPs and Learning Hubs are part of VA’s sitioning Servicemembers and Veterans to
3XEOLF$IIDLUV RI¿FH DW 0DUFK$LU Veterans Economic Communities Initiative learn new skills and earn credentials, which
5HVHUYH %DVH $OO SKRWRJUDSKV (VECI), promoting education and employ- can increase their competitiveness during
LQWKH%HDFRQDUH$LU)RUFHSKR- ment opportunities for Veterans through their transition.”
WRV XQOHVV RWKHUZLVH VWDWHG )RU integrated networks of support in 50 cities.
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