Day 8: Take some time today to reflect on your career. Jot down a timeline of it, including all the ups and downs. What was your best experience? And the worst? What would you like your future to look like, in terms of your career? If you’re a young man and haven’t started in yet, focus on that future part. What do you want your work to look like?

‘‘‘Timeline:’’’ 14 April 2009 - Enlist in USAF 14 June 2009 - Graduate BMT 01 July 2009 - Start DLI in Russian Basic Class 04 July 2010 - Finish Russian course in top 10 of class with 3.8 GPA 17 Nov 2010 - Finish Goodfellow training 01 Jan 2011 - Arrive at Elmendorf AFB. 15 May 2011 - Finally certified in position, start working on the floor on Nautilus (Doing 5x8s). 01 Jun 2011 - Assigned to Baker watch working Panama schedule with 12 hour shifts. (Work, work, off, off, work, work, work) (Off , off , work, work, off, off, off) Every month, we switched from days to nights, or nights to days. It was very difficult on me and I worked this schedule until Feb 2013 when I left Alaska. The best part about working this schedule was that on nights, I had plenty of time to work on programming projects or learn in general. 01 Feb 2013 - Watch schedule was changed to two halves of shift, each working 5x8. I was working Su-Th. It would be an outright lie to say that I was instrumental in implementing this plan. I was one of many who helped develop it though and thanks to our receptive leadership, we were able to implement it. 14 Feb 2013 - Reenlisted for four years with bonus. 01 May 2013 - Took Staff test and missed it by 5 points 19 Jan 2014 - Moved to Fort Meade, MD working at the 29 IS. Mar 2014 - Took ALS. Did well in course although I didn’t pick up any awards, my classmates thought I should have.

I still feel like I haven’t been here very long but I suppose that I know some things about the Air Force if not my job. My highest point was when I scored a 2+/3 on my Russian DLPT. My lowest point was the day that I was passed over for a job based not on my qualifications but because I was deemed to important to let go. As it stands in my life right now, I could see doing this job for 20 years. I’m not sure that I would be fulfilled if I did though. It all depends on what my actual job turns out to be. In an ideal world, I would like to program all day long and make good money doing it.