Catching up with CPCC Alumnus Christopher Reith, C3C, USAF

Class of 2007, General Studies

When we interviewed Chris for the Alumni Success program in 2008, he was just beginning to pursue his dream to become a pilot through his commission in the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Chris has just sent us an update. He’s very proud of his CPCC education and how it prepared him for the rigors of the Air Force Academy.

I entered the US Air Force Academy’s Class of 2012 on 26 July 2008 and started the 6 weeks of Basic Cadet Training (BCT). BCT was a stressful 6 weeks that challenged us physically, mentally, and emotionally. In early August, we were finally accepted into the Cadet Wing and earned the title of “Cadet”, though until March, we’d formally be known as “Doolies” due to our freshman status.

 As freshman year began, the challenges faced kept increasing. Freshman USAFA cadets are required to not only take roughly 16 credit hours of academics each of their first two semesters, but must also compete in athletics (Intercollegiate or intramural), take mandatory gym classes (for males, boxing is required; Self defense for females), and live under the Fourth Class System.

The Fourth Class System is tough, and entails things like running everywhere you go, while carrying everything in your left hand, greeting every upperclassman you see (some by full name), memorizing weekly knowledge, and participating in mandatory squadron training sessions, just to name a few.

In March, the freshmen go through what is known as “Recognition”, a 3-day training exercise where they have to prove whether or not they have what it takes to be upperclassmen in the Cadet Wing. The year formally ends at graduation, when the graduating class throws their hats in the air as the Air Force Thunderbirds fly over, and the freshmen formally become sophomores.

For me, freshman year was a blast. It was tough and challenging and I’m proud to have done things that college students don’t get the chance to do.

 I’m on the USAFA Cycling Team, named Best Collegiate Cycling Club by USA Cycling this past year. We raced all over Colorado and some parts of Utah. For intramurals, I played rugby and flickerball, two sports I had never played before. I also took the mandatory boxing class, another sport that I had never participated in.

The people that I’ve met and had the honor of hearing speak were incredible. We’ve had Gene Kranz, who was a driving force for the Apollo 13 mission, and Captain Sullenberger, who successfully landed US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Greg Lemond, the first American to win the Tour de France, and Saul Raisin, a professional cyclist who bounced back from a life-threatening injury a few years ago.

Perhaps the best part of my time here at the Academy has been my first summer here. The summers are divided into three three-week periods. My first period, I took Combat Survival Training. The second program was split into two sections: Global Engagement and Jump. In Global Engagement we learned the basics of deployment from how an airbase is constructed from the ground up, to certain job exposures such as security forces, services and civil engineering. The capstone for the program was a 6-day mock deployment.

After Global Engagement, came the Basic Freefall Parachuting Program. This was one of the best things I have ever done. We started out 2 days of intense ground training, where we learned the basics of freefall parachuting. It was fast-paced with a ton of information (we memorized a 70-page book in 2 days) that would save our lives when we started jumping out of airplanes. Our first jump from was from 4,500-feet. I have to say, the ride up was quite nerve-wrecking. Once up to altitude, the green light came on, and the jumpmaster turned to me saying, “Chris, you ready to jump today?” After giving him a loud and thunderous, “FREEFALL!” he looked me in the eye and said, “Chris, stand in the door!” That’s when the training kicks in. After so many rehearsals the body just does what it did on the ground in the same situation, despite your brain asking you why you were going to fall out of an airplane. Standing in the door means exactly what it stands like. You stand in the door, facing the front of the airplane, and put your entire body into the wind. Then you look at your jumpmaster and he says, “GO!” The jumps, are solo!

Again, the training and pure muscle memory does all the work for you. After roughly ten seconds of freefall, you pull the rip cord and the parachute deploys and you enjoy a nice, quite ride back down to the surface of the earth. In order to earn our jump wings, we had to successfully complete five jumps. Yes, I earned my jump wings! My first year at USAFA has been a blast, and it has been an honor to do the things that I have done so far.

Christopher A. Reith, C3C, USAF

Cadet Squadron 40 "Warhawks"

United States Air Force Academy

Falcon Cycling
Class of 2012

If you have a story to tell or know of someone who does, contact Mary Collin of CPCC Alumni Relations.  Click here to read some stories we have received!

Mary.Collin@cpcc.edu
Office of Institutional Advancement/CPCC Foundation
PO BOX 35009
Charlotte NC 28235-5009
704-330-6808