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LEAD candidates visit Air Force Academy

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Don Branum
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  More than 25 Airmen from bases in the United States and Europe visited the Air Force Academy Jan. 13-14 as part of the Leaders Encouraging Airmen Development Diversity Visitation Program.

LEAD is a commissioning program that allows up to 85 active-duty Airmen and 85 reservists or Guardsmen to enter the Academy as cadets.

Airman 1st Class Justin Loutfy said he began his application for the Academy almost immediately after he finished Basic Military Training.

"I was fortunate, because my vice wing commander on my base was also an Academy grad," said Airman Loutfy, who is assigned to the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing. "He helped me out tremendously along the way."

Airman 1st Class Christine Haight, a dental technician with the 88th Dental Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, said many of her patients are Academy graduates.

"Everyone says (the Academy) is really hard, but it's totally worth it in the end," she said. "And the whole opportunity to even come out here and visit was really awesome."

To be eligible, Airmen must be U.S. citizens between 17 and 23 years old as of July 1 of the year they enter the Academy, must be single with no dependents, cannot have any prior illegal drug use or conviction and must have a well-rounded background.

Attending the DVP visit were:

Airman 1st Class Javier Arana, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
Airman 1st Class Kemal Baksh, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Md.
Airman 1st Class Daniel Bermudez, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
Airman 1st Class Jesse Brazell, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
Airman 1st Class Michael Burch, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
Airman 1st Class Taylor Christensen, California Air National Guard
Airman 1st Class Austin Cooner, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
Airman 1st Class Maxwell Doak, Tinker AFB, Okla.
Airman 1st Class John Duncan, JB Andrews
Airman 1st Class Nicholas Fisher, Lajes Field, Azores
Airman 1st Class Christine Haight, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
Airman 1st Class Norman Hitosis, Eglin AFB, Fla.
Airman 1st Class Justin Loufty, New Jersey ANG
Airman 1st Class Chanelle Lunbery, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
Airman 1st Class Loredana McCurdy, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
Airman 1st Class Luis Morales, Spangdahlem AB
Airman 1st Class Janeka Perry, Tinker AFB
Airman 1st Class Matthew Rohrs, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England
Airman 1st Class Trevor Sandson, Keesler AFB
Airman 1st Class Thomas Sartwell, Nellis AFB, Nev.
Airman 1st Class Jordon Schultz, Spangdahlem AB
Airman 1st Class John Stanley, Scott AFB, Ill.
Senior Airman Magdalena Torres, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y.
Airman 1st Class Rikeia Waller, Ramstein AB, Germany
Airman 1st Class James Walsh, JB Andrews
Senior Airman Michael Zarate, Lackland AFB, Texas