The Air Force has been an institution that has shaped my life, as it has for many others. The demands and opportunities inherent in military service have given me the chance to grow and develop as an individual and a member of a team. From the age of five, I wanted to become a fighter pilot. But as I grew up, my dream remained the same while my motivations changed a lot. Once I entered the Air Force, the experiences I had while serving were profound and life-changing, and my current assignment gives me the opportunity to use that experience in a joint environment to shape how the Air Force The Army and Air Force are integrating. Although the stages of the journey have been many and varied, upon reflection I can see that the common thread throughout has been the ideal of service before self. My journey in the Air Force began the same way as that of many fighter pilots my age. It all started with a small film from 1986, “Top Gun”. When I was five years old, I watched the fighters parade across the screen, I was hooked. I quickly realized that the Air Force would be the place where I could pursue this dream. However, while I was still in school, our nation was attacked on September 11th and my motivation completely changed. While going to college in New Jersey, a short train ride from the Twin Towers, I knew many who had lost friends and family in the attacks. My order and career selection was no longer a self-serving dream. With the clarity of retrospect, I can recognize that the driving force was the desire to serve. During my university days, I had the opportunity to enter the main building of our campus where the names of all the students who died in the service of the nation are inscribed on the walls. Walking in this room has always filled me with spirit... middle of paper... the army considers me "the air force" since I am the high representative it has in the brigade. In addition to understanding the full range of capabilities offered by the Air Force, I also have a deeper understanding of the Army, its strengths and weaknesses. After this mission as an Air Force “salesman” to the Army, I feel that I will return to the cockpit with a much broader perspective of joint warfare. Like the rest of my Air Force brothers and sisters in arms, my career was profoundly shaped by 9/11 and the wars that followed. A Hollywood blockbuster started my Air Force story, but it grew into something much deeper and more meaningful for me. It is an honor and privilege to continue to serve with so many men and women willing to sacrifice their happiness, their safety and even their lives to defend their nation..