Photo By Airman Nailah Pacheco | Staff Sgt. Yesica De Leon, non-commissioned officer in charge of the Warrior...... read more read more
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GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. – Two Airmen of the 319th Medical Group at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., were accepted into the U.S. Air Force’s Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program (NECP). The program allows enlisted members of any Air Force Specialty Code, ranked Senior Airman or higher, to pursue a nursing degree while remaining on active duty. Upon obtaining a nursing degree, they will attend officer training school (OTS) and transition into becoming a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Through NECP, enlisted members can earn a baccalaureate degree in nursing within 24 months. After graduating, they must pass the National Council Licensure Examination to obtain their nursing license, they will then attend OTS and complete the nurse transition program officially becoming commissioned officers and continuing as nurses at their clinical residency bases.
The two Airmen accepted into the NECP are Staff Sgt. Patrick Norindr, bioenvironmental engineering flight chief for the 319th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron and Staff Sgt. Yesica De Leon, non-commissioned officer in charge of the Warrior Operational Medicine Clinic for the 319th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron. As enlisted members in the medical field, this program is something both Airmen wanted to pursue and felt equally passionate about.
“One of the big things that really solidified me wanting to become a nurse was the nurse that took care of my grandmother before she passed,” said Norindr. “She genuinely cared for my grandmother as if it was her own family and that to me was like, I want to do that for other people as well.”
Norindr starts nursing school this fall at the University of Maryland and De Leon also starts nursing school this fall at the University of South Florida. They both decided to attend these universities based on the close proximity of their support systems, which for them are their families.
“It has always been a dream of mine to become a nurse,” said De Leon. “I’ve always had a passion to care for others and if I can continue to do that for my job, I can continue to serve and take care of our active duty service members.”
With their families’ support, Norindr and De Leon will have a reliable foundation that will help them navigate the struggles of balancing nursing school and active duty military service.
“I choose the University of Maryland because my mom and stepdad are only going to be an hour away,” said Norindr. “It’s definitely easier with a support system.”
“There’s always a support system I can rely on such as my family,” said De Leon. “My family will be living two hours away from school and will help me take care of my daughters.”
Having strong support systems has empowered Norindr and De Leon to provide social resilience for others, such as their Airmen in their units. In their roles as NCOs, they provide guidance, mentorship and feedback to their Airmen on a daily basis, and will continue to do so as they make the transition to commissioned officers.
“One of the best things about being an enlisted non-commissioned officer is growing my people and taking care of them,” said Norindr. “Mentoring the people around me and seeing them flourish in their craft is something I’m most excited about from going enlisted to officer.”
“I once was that Airman that was like ‘oh how did you do it?’ Now I am that person that inspires and mentors others.” Said De Leon. “I enjoy guiding people and helping people, it brings me joy. It’s who I am.”
For De Leon and Norindr, starting their military careers as young Airmen, they have learned and grown from their experiences and mistakes and have appreciated all the opportunities that have led them to becoming NCOs. They have encountered challenges in their military career, but it has ultimately led them to where they are today, applying and being accepted to NECP and eventually starting the process of becoming commissioned officers.
“Last year, I was selected as an alternate to the program and I was devastated,” said De Leon. “But, I’m grateful it didn’t happen because there were a lot of opportunities given to me in the past year.”
Though each individual faced different challenges throughout their careers, the determination to succeed remained the same.
“Whatever obstacle is standing in your way, don’t let that obstacle be the thing that prevents you from reaching your goals,” said Norindr. “I had to overcome many obstacles like retaking college classes, some I had to pay out of pocket, but I wanted to do this program and it’s something I am passionate about and wanted to pursue.”
As De Leon and Norindr close this chapter of their military careers as NCOs in the coming months, they will carry forward their experiences and skills they gained throughout their time at Grand Forks Air Force Base through the NECP program, OTS and into their new role as nurses and commissioned officers.
| Date Taken: | 04.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2025 09:58 |
| Story ID: | 495743 |
| Location: | GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, NORTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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