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DOVER AIR FORCE BASE: As I look back on the past year and a half as a second lieutenant, looking forward to the day I'll trade in my butter bars for those of shiny silver, I recall numerous accomplishments, mistakes made and lessons learned.
In particular, I've had my share of “you've got to be kidding” moments.
You know what I'm talking about — those times when you do or say something so ridiculous that people actually wonder how you're able to survive with your ego intact, let alone graduate from college.
While my pride and reputation prevent me from sharing most of my extremely embarrassing moments — particularly in a public forum — one experience stands out, which I proudly tell friends and strangers about, whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Last December, when I was looking for some interesting topics for newspaper articles, I contacted several base agencies, to see if anything interesting was happening. When word came in from the 436th Security Forces Squadron that they were going to conduct a demonstration with their military working dogs for a junior ROTC group — and invited me to participate as an attack “victim” — I was hooked!
Or maybe the real deal-sealer was when I was informed by a fellow lieutenant in the 436th SFS that I would definitely earn “cool points” if I did actually follow through and volunteer.
While some have responded with disbelief and the oh-so-common statement in a new lieutenant's life, “you've got to be kidding me,” in response to my enthusiasm, I could only think — you've got to be kidding me that anyone would pass up this kind of opportunity!
A few days before the demonstration, I even had numerous friends and co-workers question my sanity, surely wondering what in the world was this crazy new lieutenant getting herself into.
“Do you realize you're volunteering to let a trained attack dog bite you?” one friend questioned.
However, with my boss' blessing and an offer from her to escort me to the scene of the “attack,” I was all set for my own Air Force “Fear Factor”.
As we arrived at the working dog kennels that chilly morning, I remember feeling a little anxious, sure that somehow something would go wrong and I would have to explain for the rest of my life how I lost my arm — or at least some fingers — because I volunteered to be attacked!
Even those anxious feelings were not enough to prevent me from following through to don the protective sleeve on my arm and experience the power and intelligence of those huge German Shepherd dogs, who just like all Airmen, are skillfully trained to serve our country!
As I made my way out into the grassy field for the first attack, my nervousness dissipated. There was no doubt in my mind that it would be an experience I would never forget.
With that first powerful lunge toward me, the canine bared his enormous mouthful of sharp teeth and focused his deep brown eyes on his target: my arm safely enclosed within a steel sleeve. Although the normal reaction to a large, highly trained military working dog lunging at me probably should have been fear and hesitation, I was so amazed at the canine's prowess that I could do nothing but grin from ear-to-ear.
Each time the dog clasped his jaws around my arm, I could just see in my head the “cool points” adding up!
As I look back on that day and my success as an attack victim (meaning I didn't lose any appendages), I'm especially proud of that “you've got to be kidding me moment.” It not only provided me with a topic to write about, but the experience also impressed upon me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone to try something I wasn't familiar with.
From that experience, I would advise others not to be discouraged from attempting something new or volunteering for opportunities outside their normal realm of skills or responsibilities, regardless of what friends and co-workers might say. As I've learned, doing so will provide a better understanding of our total force and the people and career fields that make our Air Force the best in the world.
While I don't know exactly what my next rank and the rest of my future holds, I'm confident that if I continue to take advantage of some of the more unusual opportunities the Air Force offers – even if those around me might question my sanity – I'll certainly have an exciting career!
