Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska -- “You should want to gain what the Air Force has to offer,” said an Air Force captain who was previously enlisted for 12 years of active-duty service.
The Air Force offers a wide variety of programs for people to commission, like the Air Force Academy or Reserve Officer Training Corps, but also degree-specific options like the Nurse Education Commissioning Program and Physician Assistant Program.
Air Force Capt. Raelene Amaya, 673d Surgical Operations Squadron pain clinic nurse manager, commissioned through the NECP. After her 10-year milestone, she said she wanted to make the Air Force a career and give back in a different way, so she looked into other avenues, like being a Military Training Instructor or other special duty assignments.
Commissioning was not her first choice, but in 2008, the Air Force said they were low on nurses, so they introduced the NECP. At the time, this aligned perfectly with Amaya’s goals.
“The funny thing is, I told myself I would never be a nurse because I loved being a medic so much,” Amaya said. “When the program first came out, and I looked at the requirements, I realized I wasn’t far away from getting it.”
Technically, she wasn’t far off from applying for the program with her prior experience as a leader working in a trauma center and in the aeromedical field, but she still had a lot of schooling to do. She said it was one of the toughest things she’s done thus far, and she wouldn’t have been able to finish it without the help of her friends, coworkers, and mentors.
“Honestly, if [I’d] completed my schooling earlier while I was an Airman, I could’ve applied for the program as soon as it came out,” Amaya said. “The best advice I can give someone who’s interested in commissioning is [to] just keep being a leader and a mentor – of course your GPA will be looked at, but the whole package is considered.”
Since commissioning, Amaya said her favorite part of the job is being able to mentor the younger Airmen, because she knows exactly where they are coming from and this was exactly the change of pace she wanted.
Many officers join the military through the Air Force Academy or their local colleges.
“My parents really encouraged me to further my education, but we didn’t really have the means to pay for it,” said Air Force 2nd Lt. Jacquelyn Beberwyk, 673d MDG clinical care nurse. “Luckily, I was able to get a full-ride [scholarship] through the Air Force ROTC and was able to commission and graduate as a nurse after five years.”
The Air Force ROTC trains cadets to be officers while they earn their degrees at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the United States. This program challenges the cadet’s time-management skills, analytical skills, and physical fitness. It is not intended to be easy.
“Looking back, it was really difficult juggling ROTC, physical and leadership training, [and] within the detachment, all while keeping good grades,” Beberwyk said. “Despite that, the people really made it and helped get me through it all. I’ve met a lot of great people and mentors who’ve helped me become a better person altogether.
“There are a lot of programs for all walks of life. ROTC might be good for some people and not so much for others,” Beberwyk said. “Research and learn all the work that’s included in the program you’re interested in. Work toward your desire and know what you want out of college – because you can’t change it once you’re about halfway through.”
To learn more about commissioning options, the JBER-E education office hosts monthly commissioning briefs that explain every program in detail. For more information on commissioning, read Air Force Instruction 26-2013, Table 1.1, call 552-3168, or email the JBER-E education office at edoffice@us.af.mil.