Exchanging stripes for bars
Lt. Col. Abbie Luck, left, 81st Medical Operations Squadron mental health flight commander, administers the oath of office to flight member Senior Airman Thomas Sandoz June 1 in the Arnold Annex conference room. He’s now a first lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve pending arrival at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in August to attend Commissioned Officer Training. At that time, he becomes an active-duty officer. Airman Sandoz recently earned a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi and was accepted into the Air Force Social Work Program. Following COT, he will begin a one-year psychology intern/residency program at Eglin AFB, Fla. He’s been in the Air Force for four years and Keesler was his first assignment. He entered the service with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. The Abbeyville, La., native and his wife Krystal, a staff sergeant also assigned to the mental health flight, have a 15-month old daughter, André. (U.S. Air Force photo by Steve Pivnick)