The Air Force likes to celebrate. Celebrate becoming an officer, getting a promotion, getting a new assignment, leaving an old assignment, retiring, and, in our case, finishing UPT Phase 2. Last Monday C’s class went through the ritual called Track Select. As I mentioned before, this is when each member of the class finds out their “track” or which aircraft they’ll fly for Phase 3. Suspense was in the air for the active duty members who didn’t already know their track. After ranking aircraft choices in order of preference, each nervous person was called up individually to receive the news (in front of about 100 of their closest, er, strangers). Each had a custom slide, with their name, hometown, college, comical picture, and “most likely to” results (most of which were completely belittling and very funny).
After they were introduced, a new slide revealed 3-4 aircraft options, each fading until only their assigned aircraft was left. In one case, the exposed track was, in fact, nothing more than a trick played on a very anxious lieutenant, who, heart-broken one moment, discovered that he indeed had been granted his lifelong dream to fly helicopters. (The collective gasp was brutal!) In, I believe, every case, the students were granted their first or second choice and most left the room walking noticeably lighter than when they entered.
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| T-1s here we come! |
After each student was assigned their new track – to which, I might add, they almost all had to report the following morning – awards were presented to each flight. At track, two awards are given: “Top Stick” goes to the pilot who showed the most excellence in flight; and “Hard Charger” goes to the student who persevered through the program, while maintaining a positive attitude. It was during this part of the evening that our surprise-faces were genuine when C was honored with the “Top Stick” award for his flight. H & I couldn't be more proud!
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| Top Stick |
Once the festivities were complete, most went home for dinner and an early night in bed. After all, the next day, they went back to the beginning.
