Air Force Personal Narrative

When I was a five years old, my mom asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” For years the answer was different every time she asked. After my eleventh birthday, my reply to the question began to develop into the same response. I wanted to join the United States Air Force. Entering into my teenage years, that continued to be my dream. Along came my senior year and that was still my plan. Little did I know, my future was being shaped by forces bigger than myself, sending me into a different direction. A few days after my eleventh birthday, my family and I went on vacation to visit my Uncle Joe in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The day before we left, my mom grounded me for being mean to my cousin. That meant I couldn’t go to the mall
with everyone else, which was completely okay with me. I’m definitely not a fan of shopping. That meant I would be with my Uncle Joe all day. He let me watch TV and order my own pizza. It was turning out to be a good day of being grounded. That is until he showed me pictures of him and his crew in Vietnam. We sat down on the porch outside drinking lemonade while he told me all about the heroic battles that they faced together. There were five men that were a part of his crew including himself. Two of them being flying souls. Every year, once a year, all three of them meet up and talk about their stories and remember the two friends that lost their lives playing their part.
After that day, something inside me awoke. I wanted to join the United States Air Force like my Uncle Joe. Seeing how much pain and happiness it brought to my Uncle made me want to do it for him. So many soldiers sacrificed themselves for our country and me. My heart desired the same thing.
As senior year in high school approached, I began to get ready.
There were two main tests I had to exempt to join the Air Force. The first test was the ASVAB. A test designed for knowledge. Second was the physical, which was 10 physical exams. After all the tests were taken and finished, I was already in the second semester of my senior year. I was so convinced that I was going to the Air Force that my whole world shook when I received a call on my nineteenth birthday. My recruiter explained to me how well my test results came out, but then he also explained how I failed one of the tests from the physical. The astigmatism in my eyes was too strong for the Air Force to accept. And just like that, my dream of joining the Air Force was over.
I knew I had to do something, so my next step was getting into college. Which was difficult for the fact that I hadn’t visited or looked at any colleges due to my dream of enlisting into the Air Force. There was only one college left that I could possibly get into. That was South Plains College (SPC). Applications and essays were due the following morning that I received the call from my recruiter. With constant coffee and a great mother, I was able to complete the application, resume, essay, and three recommendation
letters.
In conclusion, my future took a different turn. Not only did I received an acceptance letter from SPC, I was also awarded a $1,000 scholarship. With hard work and dedication, I was able to receive more scholarships, enough to pay for my entire first year of college. Not only am I proud of myself for getting where I am today, but I’m also proud for being the first person in my family to attend college. The little girl who wished to join the Air Force didn’t get what she wanted. In fact, she got something better.