Warbirds selected for AECP

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Benjamin Stratton
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Two Warbirds were recently selected for the Airman Education and Commissioning Program by the April 2008 Selection Board at Maxwell AFB, Ala.

Airman 1st Class Jessica LaKemper and Staff Sgt. Benjamin Morgan, both from the 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, will enter their respective college programs in fall 2008.

"I attended college at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, N.C., with my major in biology and sports medication for 3 1/2 years before I enlisted," Airman LaKemper said. "I had one class to finish my prerequisites for a bachelor's in nursing, when I realized how great the Air Force's education benefits are."

The AECP program is designed to give Airmen a chance to achieve their goals and progress in their Air Force careers.

"AECP is for enlisted personnel who would like to pursue technical, nursing or foreign area studies and foreign language degrees," said Lois Nelson, Minot AFB Education Center counselor. "Selectees become full-time college students with all tuition, fees and books paid for by the Air Force. Those who are not already pay grade E-5 are promoted to E-5 and receive full pay and allowances while attending college."

The AECP application process consists of two parts: the headquarters Air Force ROTC/Registrar Division, Scholarship Branch and Enlisted Commissioning Section evaluation and the AECP Selection Board. The HQ AFROTC/RRUE evaluates the applicant's academic credentials to ensure they meet the minimum academic eligibility criteria for their major according to Ms. Nelson.

"When I began applying for AECP, I had to make sure I completed my degree prerequisites," Airman LaKemper said. "I had to decide what school I wanted to attend and started talking with my school admissions advisor and the Reserve Officer Training Corps detachment administrator. My school then had me take the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test."

The AECP Selection board meets in April each year. The board uses the whole-person concept to evaluate applicants. As part of the board process, applicants are evaluated on their ability to put their package together in the proper format in accordance with the AECP application checklist and directions on the AECP Web site.

"I took general education classes through the base education center," Sergeant Morgan said. "I didn't know where I wanted to go with my degree until I talked with Ms. Nelson about AECP."

Sergeant Morgan will attend Indiana University at Indianapolis for his bachelor's in nursing, which is close to his home town in Martinsville, Ind.

Airman LaKemper will attend the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., this fall. Because of the AECP program, she will be able to finish her prerequisites and continue on in pursuit of her bachelor's in nursing.

Those selected for AECP remain on active-duty and are administratively assigned to an Air Force ROTC detachment. Their duty is to attend school as a full-time college student. In addition to full pay and benefits, AECP cadets are provided with a tuition/fees scholarship of up to $15,000 per year and an annual textbook allowance of $600.

For more information on AECP and other commissioning programs, call the base education center at 723-3344.