A disciplinary paper I wrote after getting in trouble during USAF tech school

     My name is ***********.  I graduated BMT on May 13 just like everyone else after joining the Mississippi Air National Guard in late February of this year.  I joined the Guard after speaking with active duty recruiters as well as my recruiter from the Guard.  I chose Security Forces as my AFSC mainly because the tech school was relatively short as I wanted to get home in time for the fall semester at Ole Miss in order to finish my degree.  I began toying with the idea of joining the military while I struggled to make ends meet during my last semester.  I chose the Guard over active duty because it simply seemed to me that there was a wider variety of options for my future.  I have considered finishing my degree and getting commissioned as an officer, but at this stage of my career, everything is open-ended speculation.  Some short term goals I have set for myself are most importantly, graduating from tech school on time as well as finishing my degree.  Other than those two, I really have no aspirations at this point for the near future.  As long as I am an enlisted member, I would like to advance as far as I possibly can, because I believe that in order to lead others, one must have a certain undefined amount of experience to have any type of credibility as a leader.  My grandfather was stationed in Okinawa as an Air Force member during World War II.  I have many friends in all branches of the service, including a retired Marine drill sergeant. 

          One of my goals for our squad is, obviously, to be better than all the other squads.  SSGT ***** has expressed his rivalry and ongoing competitive streak between his own squad and ours.  I believe this will serve as a catalyst for the success of our squad.  From what I have been told by members of Team 13 and yourself, I believe that the work ethic that you impose will push us beyond what we thought ourselves capable of. 

          Discipline is a staple of military life, and rightly so.  Without discipline, there would be no military.  I believe that in order to form a successful, cohesive fighting unit, all members must possess a certain amount of discipline.  Without discipline, men and women would be set back by every little nick and bump in their path.  I played football throughout high school and turned down an offer to continue into college, and throughout my years of experience in the true American sport, I have become accustomed to trusting those in a position of authority, if for no other reason than that they generally have more experience than you.  Discipline is having the courage to press on and finish the task placed in front of you even though the reward doesn’t seem worth the effort.