DTF payoff: Trainees become honor grads at basic training, tech school

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kimberly Hickey
  • 934th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL AIR RESERVE STATION --  The 934th Airlift Wing's Developmental Training Flight recognized two recent basic military training honor graduates and a technical school honor graduate at a ceremony in Bldg. 862 Jan. 5.

Airman 1st Class Debra Strandlie, fuels apprentice, 934th Logistical Readiness Squadron, and Airman 1st Class Derek Degrote, emergency management apprentice, 934th Civil Engineer Squadron, were honor graduates of their Basic Military Training courses at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas in 2012, and Airman 1st Class Thomas Jacobson, water and fuel systems maintenance apprentice, 934th CES, was honor graduate of his technical school class in 2012.

The three Airmen were automatically enrolled in the DTF upon signing their Air Force Reserve contracts, and participated in preparatory training every month during the 934th AW's unit training assembly prior to departure for BMT, said Tech. Sgt. Rick Zenner, the DTF's non-commissioned officer-in-charge. The DTF has prepared 90 recruits for BMT, he said, with 27 participating in January.

The three honor graduates described their training days with the DTF as instrumental in preparing them for BMT and Air Force life.

"We learned the rank system, and did push-ups," said Strandlie. "They marched us outside, and taught us to stay in step."
What she found most helpful, however, were tests of her endurance and discipline, she said.

"At the end of the day, our instructor got us down into a push-up position and made us hold it," she said. "No one wanted to be the first to break their position, because whoever broke first, it was like you killed everyone."

Straindlee also trained hard and prepared herself, physically, for BMT. She was the first female trainee to finish her first Fit-to-Fight test at Lackland AFB, and upon completion of her first fitness test, her military training instructor told her, "I'd go to war with you."

Another honor graduate, Airman 1st Class Derek Degrote, 29, of Apple Valley, Minn. graduated from BMT July 21. His first DTF weekend was last March, when the program was still new. Degrote described the evolution of the 934th AW's DTF, what the program has become now, and how it helped him succeed.

"It's come a long way," he said. "In March of 2012, we did some repetitive things, because there were always new people coming in, and the program was just being established," he said.

Having answers to questions about BMT prepared him, he said.
"It's a few things less to worry about if you have your reporting statement down, your Airman's Creed, and the Air Force Song, just some of the simple things that you don't necessarily want to have to put forth effort to memorize in the BMT environment. I think having those skills beforehand and being prepared in that way, was really helpful," he said.

Airman 1st Class Thomas Jacobson attended technical school in water and fuel systems maintenance at Shepherd Air Force Base, Texas. He was one of only two honor graduates. Thomas explained that DTF prepared him for BMT, but that beyond basic training, he'd learned that leadership is also about demonstrating good character.

" Not every leader has to have a rope or a title," he said, describing leadership roles in the training environment. "Many are silent leaders."

The three honor graduates are now returning to the DTF to assist with preparing new recruits for BMT and beyond. Degrote returned to the DTF during the January UTA to give a briefing on MOPP gear. Jacobson and Strandlie were also asked to return to share their BMT and technical school experiences with the wing's newest recruits.

"Learn it, model it, teach it," says Zenner, in describing the model he has used in developing the DTF's training curriculum.
"It's now the working motto of the DTF," he said.

For more information about the DTF, please contact Sergeant Zenner at DSN 783-1564.