Special to The Beacon Brantley County High School Air Force JROTC Cadet Braiden Gilbert, a current senior, recently completed an eight-week residence program over the summer at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa, pursuing his private pilot’s license.
Gilbert began this rigorous flight training course shortly after school ended in May. Not only did he complete the course and earn his private pilot license in only seven weeks, Gilbert also earned the HQ AFJROTC Leadership Award which recognizes the top pilot trainee at each of the Flight Academy’s 20 training locations.
Gilbert is now the second BCHS AFJROTC cadet to complete this prestigious program since its inception in 2018.
Earlier this past school year, Gilbert was one of 200 cadets selected nationwide from a pool of 1,300 applicants to receive the Air Force JROTC Flight Academy Program Scholarship.
His scholarship, totaling $22,500, covered flight hours and instruction towards a private pilot’s license, academics, as well as room and board on campus.
“I’m extremely proud of Braiden’s impressive accomplishments” said Col. Rick Chapman, one of Brantley County High School’s JROTC instructors. “To complete a flight training program through the Air Force’s Flight Academy scholarship program is truly a unique and very challenging opportunity.
“I’m also very proud of the fact Braiden earned the Leadership Award recognizing him as one of top 20 pilots in the Flight Academy program this year.”
The Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy Program Scholarship is an Air Force-level initiative in collaboration with the commercial aviation industry to address the national civilian and military pilot shortage. The program allows aspiring young aviators enrolled in Air Force JROTC to obtain their private pilot certification at no cost.
With the Flight Academy program now completed and private pilot license in hand, Gilbert now has his sights set on attending the United States Air Force Academy next fall and pursuing his dream of one day becoming a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force.
