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This month’s Excellent Airman is 1st Lt. Adric Reed, a force support officer and the officer in charge of the Fatality, Search, and Recovery Program with the 117th Force Support Squadron (FSS)!
Reed enlisted in the 117th Air Refueling Wing in May 2006 and later commissioned, graduating from Air Force Officer Training School in February 2021. On his civilian side, Reed is a senior officer with the Alabama State Trooper based out of Perry County, Alabama.
He said that attending a public military junior college, the Marion Military Institute, was a big influence in his decision to join the military. At the time of his attendance the school was a high school and a college, meaning that as a high schooler Reed was able to interact with college students who were already in the military and prepping to either commission or step into a service academy.
“Those guys really inspired me,” said Reed. “The way they carried themselves, the military structure we had to follow, the drill and ceremony we had to do, wearing military uniforms ourselves; the whole experience inspired me to join the military.”
It also helped that four of his 10 siblings joined the military as well. Two of his sisters and one of his brothers were in the Alabama Air National Guard, and the fourth sister was in the Alabama Army National Guard.
His most enjoyable memory since joining the military 18 years ago, besides once spending his 15 days of annual tour at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, during the Olympics, was when he was the in charge of the entertainment book services when deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, from 2015 to 2016.
“Being able to book popular artists from the States to come over, like the Harlem Globetrotters and the Miami Dolphin cheerleaders, was one of the best services jobs I’ve had in the military,” said Reed. “It was my job to bring joy and entertainment to the base population while they were away from home, and being able to do that brought me so much joy.”
Reed said that he’s always loved working in Services, and it’s apparent that his love for engaging with others has extended far beyond just the military side of his life, both in and out of his Alabama state trooper uniform.
He is also a servant leader in his hometown of Uniontown, where he volunteers with a non-profit called C.H.O.I.C.E. (Choosing to Help Others In our Community Excel), often participating in community engagement events. There, they strive to create collaborative partnerships to ensure youth have access to resources that provide quality programs, activities, and services in six key focus areas such as, workforce development, mentoring, education, cultural arts, health and wellness, and Athletics and Recreation.
Eating lunch with high school seniors, reading to students in the Read for America program, passing out food, or getting involved in different programs that assist people with reintegrating into the workforce are some of the other multiple ways in which Reed volunteers his free time strengthen his community. When not working or volunteering, Reed is a fan of attending comedy shows, traveling, and reading. While he’s read many books over the years, he said that one of his favorites was “The I Factor” by Van Moody.
It’s no wonder a book with the focus of finding purpose and greatness in ones life is a favorite of someone like Reed who dedicates as much time, effort, and energy into taking care of his Airmen and community.
| Date Taken: | 10.31.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2024 16:52 |
| Story ID: | 484561 |
| Location: | BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 117 ARW's October Excellent Airman, by SSgt Shelby Thurman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
