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Airmen selected for DOD physician assistant school

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Valerie Hosea
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  "I'm so frustrated that I think all three of you need to go back to school and learn this," said Brig. Gen. O.G. Mannon, 82nd Training Wing commander, as he handed three Airmen their new textbooks for the Physician Assistant Training program. 

Staff Sgt. Jared Files, 383rd Training Squadron, Staff Sgt. William Rannow, 365th TRS, and Tech. Sgt. Christopher Wilbur, 365th TRS, were called into General Mannon's office April 24 under the impression they had done something wrong. They were completely unaware that the meeting's purpose was to notify the Airmen of their selection for the program. 

Staff Sgt. Kristen Cook, 366th TRS Detachment 7, also was recognized but was not able to attend. 

Sergeant Files, who was considering separating before he received the news, said "I chose this route instead of separating because there are better opportunities (in this program) than at a lot of civilian schools." 

Sergeants Files, Rannow and Wilbur have all been working for two years or longer to get into the program. The Airmen have had to take up to eight classes and the Scholastic Aptitude Test to qualify for the training. 

"I've been working for this for about four to five years and crossing my fingers and doing a lot of praying in the process," Sergeant Wilbur said. 

After a brief meeting in the general's office, the three Airmen were escorted into the 82nd TRW conference room where they were met by their commanders. 

"This program has one of the toughest selection boards in the Air Force," the general said. "This is normally a three year program, but you all get to do it in one. So you all better start studying now." 

The Airmen have qualified for training and hope to make a bigger difference in the Air Force in doing so. 

"I like to help people be well, fit and the best they can be," Sergeant Rannow said. "They can't focus on their work if they're sick." 

"I feel like this is the best way that I can serve my fellow Airmen," Sergeant Wilbur said.