AFMC Command News

My educational journey: 36-2618 reasons to get a CCAF

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Justin R. Deisch
  • Manager, Command Nuclear Missile Maintenance
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Learning from my educational journey, I frequently challenge my peers to get their Community College of the Air Force degree. You see, I was an Airman who did not see relevance or worth in a CCAF; to be honest, I did not want one. I had enlisted in the Air Force for a real education and made the choice to pursue my bachelor's degree, not waste my time with a CCAF. After all, if it were so important why did many of my supervisors and peers not have theirs?

During a tuition assistance visit at my education office, a counselor reviewed my records and informed me that I was two classes shy of my CCAF. Again, not interested in the CCAF, I thanked her for her time and pressed with my bachelor's degree.

Now the twist! A few years later, a position in Air Education and Training Command opened up and I applied for the job. But there was one small problem -- I did not have my CCAF and the application was put on hold. I could not figure out why; I was a hard charging technical sergeant, darn good at my job and had a pile of hardware to back that up! How could I have my bachelor's degree and mountains of college credits but be held up due to a lack of a CCAF?

Very frustrated and confused, I went to my supervisor. He explained that "a million credits are outstanding, but a CCAF captures specific career field education and shows the Air Force you are invested in your job." Essentially, while my bachelor's degree was great, I really needed to finish those two classes and knock out my CCAF. In the end, my supervisor left me with a simple message: "It is about the whole person," not your personal wants, although a CCAF demonstrates both.

I went back to the education office and completed my CCAF. Sure enough, I was accepted for Instructor duty. After teaching for a few years, I earned my second CCAF and leaned into a master's degree program.

In the end, it would have been easy for me not to apply for instructor duty and continue my own personal educational pursuits without earning my CCAF. However, thanks to that supervisor, I found an AFI that contains 36-2618 reasons to better myself as an example to those around me to do the same.