HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Fifteen enlisted Airmen reached a milestone in their careers when they received degrees during the Community College of the Air Force commencement at the Minuteman Commons Oct. 25.
In total, more than 40 Airmen from Hanscom and geographically separated units received Associate in Applied Science degrees in the past year. However, because of temporary duty, permanent change of station, retirements and other reasons, many graduates were unable to attend the ceremony.
Master Sgt. Jason Fowler, 64th Maintenance Squadron superintendent at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, delivered the commencement address.
"Graduates, don’t let your journey stop here," said Fowler, who previously had an assignment at the Community College of the Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. "The true value in a degree from the Community College of the Air Force is that it is a stepping stone toward something else."
For many of the graduates, the CCAF degree is merely the first step towards a bachelor's degree. According to officials at the Education and Training Center, of those who received their CCAF degree during the ceremony, two have already received advanced degrees, two are pursing commissioning pre-requisites and six have approved bachelor's degree goals.
During his remarks, Col. Chad Ellsworth, installation commander, a 1999 CCAF graduate, discussed the importance of education to the graduates.
“The one thing that can never be taken away from you is education,” he said. “They can take your uniform. They can take your job. They can never take away what you’ve learned.”
The CCAF is a federally-chartered, degree-granting institution that serves the United States Air Force's enlisted total force. It’s partnered with more than 108 affiliated Air Force schools, 82 education service offices located worldwide and more than 1,500 civilian academic institutions to serve approximately 300,000 active, Guard and reserve enlisted personnel, making CCAF the world's largest community college system. The college annually awards more than 22,000 associate in applied science degrees from 71 degree programs.
The following Airmen received their CCAF degree:
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Detachment 7
Staff Sgt. Michael B. Horn
Senior Airman Timothy L. Hughes, Jr.
Staff Sgt. Christian R. Salinas
Master Sgt. Timothy M. Sigafoos
66th Air Base Group
Staff Sgt. Brandon H. Carpenter
Staff Sgt. James B. Davis III
Master Sgt. Ryan M. Dillingham
Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Fox
Tech. Sgt. Seth A. Graham
Staff Sgt. Andrew M. Pierce
Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Pimentel
Staff Sgt. Wilmer E. Puello-Mota
Tech. Sgt. Luz V. Rodriguez
Staff Sgt. Sonia M. Severino
Senior Airman Amber N. Signer
Staff Sgt. Natasha Steffen
Staff Sgt. James R. Stewart
Senior Airman Chad A. Stricker, Jr.
Staff Sgt. Fritz B. Tuato’o
Staff Sgt. Nicholas C. Wilson
Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) Integration Directorate
Staff Sgt. Michele Anderson
319th Recruiting Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Jonathan M. Compton
Staff Sgt. Nicholas D. Cook
Tech. Sgt. Alfred J. Daprato
Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Martin
Staff Sgt. Jorge A. Nevarez-Coronado
Staff Sgt. Karina I. Reyes
Tech. Sgt. Ferney Rivera
Tech. Sgt. Steven R. Scott
Master Sgt. Jock K. Whatley
Joint Personal Property Shipping Office
Senior Airman Caitlin E. Davis
Senior Airman Alice O. Pratt
Geographically Separated Units
Tech. Sgt. Patrick J. Allen, 313th Recruiting Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Summer J. Chamberlain, 313th Recruiting Squadron
Staff Sgt. Corey P. Crawford, 439th Maintenance Squadron, Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts
Staff Sgt. Jazmen Y. Davis, 313th Recruiting Squadron
Staff Sgt. Eugene De Los Santos, 439th Maintenance Squadron, Westover Air Reserve Base
Staff Sgt. Kellen J. Hunsberger, 439th Maintenance Squadron, Westover Air Reserve Base
Staff Sgt. Brian G. Lavin, 103rd Civil Engineering Squadron, Bradley Air National Guard Base, Connecticut
Tech. Sgt. Mark P. Lorensen, 439th Maintenance Squadron, Westover Air Reserve Base
Tech. Sgt. Steven M. Lucero, 313th Recruiting Squadron
Agent Joshua J. Lyford, Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Tech. Sgt. Bryan C. Newton, 313th Recruiting Squadron
Master Sgt. Anthony R. Pannell, 313th Recruiting Squadron
Special Agent Daniel P. Robinson, Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Staff Sgt. Jimmy S. Sayarath, 313th Recruiting Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Lee R. Settle, Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York
Master Sgt. Randi M. Teague, 313th Recruiting Squadron
The following personnel completed advanced degrees and received recognition during the ceremony.
Senior Airman Caitlyn Davis, Bachelor of Arts in General Studies, Southern New Hampshire University
Master Sgt. Ryan M. Dillingham, Master’s Degree in Leadership, Trident University International
Master Sgt. Ryan Francois, Bachelor of Science in Sports and Health Sciences, American Military University
Courtney C. Oliver, Master’s Degree in Legal Studies, Kaplan University
Staff Sgt. Christine L. Tuato’o, Master of Science in Forensic Psychology, Walden University