As I started this program in August 2009, I had a very loose plan for the future.

As we say in the military, the plan was in firm jello. I had been in the US Air Force for four years, had an infant son, and was beginning my first deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. As I began my journey, I knew that I had to have a masters degree to be promoted to the next rank and I knew that I wasnt sure if I was going to continue in the Air Force or resign my commission to pursue a career in the civilian sector. So, I looked for a masters program that I felt would serve me whether I remained in the military or became a civilian. Four years later, my infant son is now six months shy of kindergarten, I have a twoyear-old daughter and another son on the way, and Im still in the Air Force without a firm grasp of my future. I realize this sounds slightly hopeless, but thats not my intent. It would be disingenuous to say Im in the exact same spot now as I was four years ago. Ive committed to remain in the Air Force until 2018, so I know that Ill stay in the military until at least that point. By that time, I will be over halfway to retirement, so the safe bet is on me staying in the military for at least the next 12 years before retiring and moving on to a career in the civilian sector. In that sense, there is a little more certainty to my future than there was in 2009. With that being said, there are still many different options within the military and an innumerable amount of paths that my career could take. So, even if I stay in the military, Im not certain where my career will take me. With my masters degree in hand, theres a great chance that I will be promoted to Major, the next rank, when I meet my promotion board in 2014. Along with that increase in rank will come an increase in responsibility and positions of greater supervision over subordinate officers and enlisted airmen. These positions may or may not be directly relevant to the knowledge Ive gained in the Training and Development program at NC State. Whatever the specifics of my position may be, my primary responsibility will be to train myself and others to fly our aircraft and prepare for combat operations. In that regard, I will be consistently capable of applying a critical eye to our training processes and offering inputs and suggestions on methods to improve their effectiveness. In addition, receiving that promotion to the rank of Major will increase my options for the future including the possibility of attending year-long professional military education (PME) courses. Should I be selected to attend a PME course, it will result in me earning another masters degree and setting myself up for further future promotions and higher-level positions. In the next 7 9 years, as I continue to progress through the military ranks, hopefully, I will be given command positions where I will have responsibilities similar to those of an executive in a corporate environment. Again, this isnt a position where Id be directly working in human resources, but understanding human resources principles and ideas such as organizational change, evaluation, and collective knowledge will make me a better leader and help me guide my squadron to greater productivity, increase performance, and improved morale.

The future discussed in the preceding paragraphs is the ideal course my career would take if I were allowed to design it myself. However, as stated, there are still a lot of unknowns as it relates to my military career. At some point I will find myself in the civilian sector whether that is in my long-term future or my more immediate future remains to be seen. When I do seek a civilian job, Im not sure what field it will be in, although I suspect it will be related to my current military career. Although I cant know at this point what I will do after my time in the military has come to an end, I am confident that the knowledge, skills, and tools I have gained in the Training and Development program at NC State will make me a stronger leader, a better supervisor to my subordinates, and a more productive executive for whatever company hires me. Since I was so uncertain of my future in 2009, I wanted to pursue a degree that would benefit me in any endeavor, whether I stayed in the military or left for the civilian world. I believe that this degree program has achieved that goal. Im now more certain of my desire to remain in the military, but nothing is guaranteed and my time in the military will end eventually. Thus, while I may never be a human resources manager or training designer, I know Ill be wellequipped in whatever career I pursue to optimize personnel performance and maximize my organizations success.