From FSS Airman to Navy pilot

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Magen M. Reeves
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  On Feb. 25, Staff Sgt. Derek Cruz, assigned to the 341st Force Support Squadron, notified his command that he had been selected to attend officer candidate school to become a naval aviator for the United States Navy.

According to Cruz, the transition from enlisted Air Force member to potential naval officer went fairly smooth and fairly quick.

Cruz said his biggest supporter (aside from his wife and daughter) is his squadron commander, Lt. Col. Michael Epper.

"Over the last six months I have been working with Staff Sergeant Cruz," said Epper, 341st FSS commander. "He was selected to attend Navy OCS and become a naval aviator. This is very good news for him and reflects well on his character and the dedication he has shown to the 341st FSS (and 341st Missile Wing)."

The decision to make the switch from Air Force to Navy was not a difficult one for Cruz to make.

"I tried commissioning in the Air Force, but my (Air Force officer qualifying test) were not the best scores," said Cruz. "I didn't want to cut myself short. The Air Force is my first love, but my dream is to be a pilot. I did some research and applied for the Navy."

Cruz's conditional release date from the Air Force is set for some time this coming summer. From there, Cruz will complete three months of officer candidate training in Rhode Island, then pilot training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

"This is surreal," says Cruz about his journey to becoming an aviator. "I went from a cook to a pilot. I persevered. I grew up in a humble household and I knew if I wanted it, I had to go out and get it."

Cruz was born in New Jersey and moved to Puerto Rico with his family as an infant. Cruz attended school and some college in Puerto Rico, before swearing an oath to serve as a member of the military.

Cruz's Air Force journey began at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Since then, he has been stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, served a deployment to Kuwait and completed several special-duty assignments.

Because English is not Cruz's first language, he served a special-duty assignment as a translator and political science advisor for a mission in Bogota, Colombia.

According to Cruz, it is the career opportunities he has been given the last seven and a half years in the Air Force and the supervisors he has had along the way that have prepared him for his next step in service.

"I feel I have demonstrated the whole person concept," said Cruz when asked about what he believes his strongest qualities are. "I've been around the block. I've had great opportunities that have made me a better person. On paper, people see that I have leadership skills, that I am seeking the bigger picture.

"The moment you start to sell yourself short is the moment you let yourself down," Cruz continued. "My dream is to be a pilot. With my families' support of our career, I couldn't be more ready."