Medic earns full ROTC scholarship Published Jan. 27, 2010 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AFB, Ms. -- Senior Airman Melissa Chester, 81st Medical Operations Squadron, has been selected for the Scholarships for Outstanding Airmen to ROTC program. She was officially notified of her selection Jan. 12 during the 81st Medical Group executive staff meeting. Brig. Gen. Ian Dickinson, 81st Training Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Lonnie Slater, 81st TRW command chief, joined the MDG staff and Airman Chester's supervisors and coworkers, as Lt. Col. Jane Denton, 81st MDOS commander, told Airman Chester she had received the full scholarship through the Air Force ROTC program. She had submitted her package for consideration in October. "I was very, very excited. I'm honored to have been selected," said Airman Chester. Currently a cardiopulmonary technician, she entered the Air Force in October 2007 and has been at Keesler since January 2009. She will attend Florida State University in Tallahassee starting in August. "I was accepted to both Florida State and (Louisiana State University)," she said, "but now that I have a full scholarship, I could select either one." The London, Ky., native plans to pursue a degree in biochemistry and then attend medical school. The future officer began taking college courses while a senior in high school. "I did a co-op program offered through my school," she said. "The classes were at Sommerset Community College (in London, Ky)." Currently taking classes at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, she is two courses from earning a Community College of the Air Force degree.