John Thomas

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Segment Synopsis: John discusses his early childhood growing up in rural Louisiana and the hardships accompanying his father's passing.

Keywords: Farm Life; Farming; Fishing; Hardships; Hunting; Late Father; Opelousas, Louisiana; Siblings

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Segment Synopsis: John reflects on the spiritual transformation he underwent as a young man and how Christianity positively altered his life's trajectory.

Keywords: Christianity; Leonville, Louisiana; Spirituality

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Segment Synopsis: John discusses his high school and collegiate experiences, as well as the practical education he received working a variety of jobs as a young man.

Keywords: ACT Admissions Test; Blue-Collar Work; Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA); Leonville, Louisiana; Odd Jobs; Remedial Courses; University of South Louisiana (USL)

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Segment Synopsis: John explains the various motivations that influenced his decision to join the Air Force.

Keywords: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB); Discipline; In-Laws; Money; Recruiters; Social Mobility; Structure; United States Military Entrance Processing (MEPS); Upward Mobility; Work

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Segment Synopsis: John reflects on his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base and explains how it was an important and formative experience in his life.

Keywords: Appreciation; Compulsory Military Service; Discipline; Drills; Inspections; Lackland Air Force Base; Military Times Airman (MTI); San Antonio, Texas; Teamwork

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Segment Synopsis: John discusses his technical education and training at Lowry Air Force Base.

Keywords: B-52 Bombers; Denver, Colorado; Lowry Air Force Base; Nuclear Armament Systems Specialist; Open Mechanical; Practical Experience

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Segment Synopsis: John discusses his assignment to Barksdale Air Force Base and the cultural differences between north and south Louisiana.

Keywords: Barksdale Air Force Base; Bossier City, Louisiana; Commanding Officer (CO); David Duke; Ku Klux Klan (KKK); Marriage; Shreveport, Louisiana; Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY); White Supremacy

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Segment Synopsis: John explains how he worked toward earning his Associate's degree and his later deployment to Korea on a one-year remote assignment.

Keywords: 462d Air Expeditionary Group; Associate's Degree; Backshop; Community College of the Air Force; Gunsan-si, South Korea; Kunsan Air Force Base; Kunsan, South Korea; Long Shifts; Paralegal; Remote Assignment; Weapons Load Barn Certification; Weapons Loading

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Segment Synopsis: John discusses his return to the United States, as well as the various crossroads to which he came and the important life changes he experienced during this time.

Keywords: Bachelor's Degree; Bootstrap Program; Cross-Training; Daughter; Educational Leave of Absence; Moody Air Force Base; Valasta, Georgia; Weapons Loading; Wife

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Keywords: Cold Weather; Cultural Differences; Friendships; Incirlik Air Force Base; Incirlik, Turkey; Misawa Air Force Base; Misawa, Japan; Saudi Arabia

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Segment Synopsis: John discusses his return to Barksdale Air Force Base from 2001 to 2011.

Keywords: Barksdale Air Force Base; Bossier City, Louisiana; Chief Master Sergeant; Shreveport, Louisiana; Wing Weapons Manager

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Segment Synopsis: John discusses his deployment to the Middle East and his responsibilities and duties while there.

Keywords: Al Udeid Air Base; B-1 Bombers; Doha, Qatar; Senior Munitions Management Conference; Wing Weapons Manager

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Segment Synopsis: John discusses his final duty station in Florida and how the move affected his family.

Keywords: Daughter; Panama City, Florida; Tyndall Air Force Base

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Segment Synopsis: John reflects on his military service and how it has provided him with valuable life skills.

Keywords: Discipline; Hardwork; Perseverance

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Segment Synopsis: John discusses some of the challenges he faced during his transition to civilian life and the various positions he held after the military.

Keywords: Adjusting; Air Force JROTC; Challenges; Christian Faith; Decompressing; Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corp (JROTC); Management; Teaching; Technical Support

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Segment Synopsis: John offers some final thoughts on the benefits of serving in the military and the good the military has done in his community.

Keywords: Appreciation; Freedom; Growth; Opportunity; Sacrifice