Medic selected for Officer Training School

Published Feb. 19, 2014
By Steve Pivnick
81st Medical Group

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Senior Airman Michael Conners is a step closer to his ultimate goal - to be elected President of the United States, he said.

Conners, a medical technician with the 81st Inpatient Operations Squadron Intensive Care Unit, learned Feb. 7, he had been selected for commissioning as an Air Force officer. He is one of 21 enlisted members selected this cycle out of more than 300 who applied.

"My application had to be submitted by August 2013 and selections were supposed to be announced in November," said Conners. "That date slipped a couple of times - until today."

The future officer has his sights on the sky, having been accepted into the rated program. He will attend Officer Training School followed by the Basic Officer Course at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., sometime this year before entering training, either as an aircraft or drone pilot, navigator or air battle manager.

Conners graduated from Utah's Brigham Young University in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He had attempted to apply for a commission but learned there were no openings. So, after working a couple of years for Walmart, he enlisted in the Air Force in August 2011. Keesler was his initial assignment. He currently is studying for a master's degree in business on-line with Liberty University in Virginia.

As for his presidential aspirations, he explained, "I'm trying to get experience in a number of areas. That's why I came into the military. As president you can't change something if you haven't experienced it. I'm aiming for 2024 but have to serve at least six-years as an officer so that might slip a bit."

Conners said it was a privilege and honor to be offered this opportunity, but was adamant about giving credit to others who made it possible.

"It's humbling to be able to represent the enlisted side," he said. "All the hard work has paid off. I definitely wouldn't have made it without the people I work with and my chain of command that helped me through the entire process. It's all them. I wouldn't have been able to do this without them!"

Medic selected for OTS