Emily Reeves and Katy Tharp decided that joining the United States Air Force was something they felt completely drawn to at the age of 17.
Tharp, who grew up in Weston, became interested in joining the Air Force when she was a junior in high school. She had no prior experience with the military other than through her dad, a United States Marine Corps veteran.
Reeves, who grew up in Lansing, Kan., had no desire to join the Air Force when she was young, and when she was a freshman in high school she decided she would never attend a service academy, but at that time she didn’t know anything about them. When she was a junior, she realized attending the Air Force Academy would be the perfect fit for her.
With three years under her belt, Reeves is still a cadet and not yet in the operational Air Force. She has one year left at the Academy and she will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in June, 2023. She is now a group commander.
“It used to be rare for women to be group commanders at all, but now it is much more common,” Reeves said. “The Basic Cadet Training commander when I went through BCT was a woman, and it has become much more frequent in the last 10 to 20 years. In the past four years there have been three female BCT commanders.”
She was in charge of creating the overall plan of execution for BCT, and during execution, she was in charge of ensuring that all of her cadre were well prepared and had all the materials they needed to be successful. The majority of her time was devoted to taking feedback from her squadron commanders and making the program better.
“The most rewarding parts were my time as the BCT Group Commander and working as a BCT Group senior NCO (non-commissioned officer) during the summer of 2021,” Reeves said. “Currently I serve as my squadron’s Cadet Squadron 4 Fightin’ Fourth Training Officer, where I am able to train the entire squadron on skills for the future fight and put my effort into making the classes behind me better than my class.”
Tharp graduated from West Platte High School in 2021 and just completed her first academic year and summer at the United States Air Force Academy. She is majoring in Systems Engineering with a focus in astronautical engineering. She is also a member of the USAFA CrossFit team and a manager for the Track and Field team, as well as a member of Officers of Christian Fellowship.
“My duties at the Academy, aside from my athletic teams, include cadet responsibilities within our squadrons, which are semester-long assigned jobs,” Tharp said. “Freshmen responsibilities are drastically different than upperclassmen duties. Freshmen (known as doolies) have to complete training sessions during the designated time, knowledge tests, physical training assessments and strict standards for rooms and uniforms, no civilian clothing until the completion of Recognition in March.”
Tharp described Recognition as a three-day long training event that challenges doolies’ skills learned throughout the year and the time to earn props and wings. “This is a very rewarding time due to the amount of work put in during the year, showing its impact in knowledge and physical challenges. After Recognition, you gain more privileges, such as wearing civilian clothes and walking freely on the terrazzo.”
For Reeves, the most important things she has learned at the Academy have been time management, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. But one of the most exciting aspects of attending the Academy for her has been seeing all the opportunities for women to assume more leadership roles.
“I don’t know the full history of how women have been progressing throughout the Air Force, but the women that have come before me have greatly paved the way for me to challenge myself and reach for larger leadership opportunities,” Reeves said.
While challenges do exist for Reeves at the Academy, such as devoting time to honing her leadership style and managing her time to maintain a healthy work-life balance, she said she has also learned the most important basic values, including self-discipline and open mindedness.
After watching her first graduation in 2022, Tharp saw the impact the Academy made on the seniors in her squadron who walked proudly across the stage.
“It helped me see how rewarding it is to complete four years at the Academy with the people I went through basic training with,” Tharp said. “During my time at the Academy I have learned how to interact with all types of people, whether is it diversity, adversity, or a variety of personalities. This is something I have learned to love being a part of, because I can grow in my ability to speak and work with others effectively.”
Being surrounded by high-ranking officers has allowed Tharp to understand how the chain of command works within the military and how to address people of authority.
“Throughout this year I have seen how well the Air Force treats its people and I would like to make a career out of it, possibly in the Space Force,” Tharp said. “Some of the best advice I have been given is to take care of your people. And something I will live by while continuing my career as well, is being the best version of myself for others.”
Reeves plans to pursue a military career as an Air Force Civil Engineer and she hopes to eventually become a Red Horse Civil Engineering officer.
“My parents have supported me throughout the entire process of applying to the Academy and my entire time here,” Reeves said. “They are my biggest fans and never fail to make sure that I am learning from each and every experience.”
For teens and young adults who are thinking of joining the military, Reeves advises them to spend time trying to understand the core values of each branch and to talk to people who have joined the military to understand the benefits and challenges of military life.
“It is certainly not for everyone, but it is the best thing for me, and I have never regretted the decision to join the Academy and Air Force and try to make it a better place than when I got in,” Reeves said.
Tharp’s parents, who live in Farley, have also been very supportive during the application process and throughout her time at the Academy.
For Tharp, growing up in Weston gave her many opportunities to perform in athletics and be a part of different clubs. Her teachers provided support and education that encouraged her to push the boundaries and made her first year in college academics enjoyable. She excelled and earned the superintendent’s pin, which was a shock for her due to the rigorous schedule of Academy life.
“When deciding whether or not to join the military, the choice for me was easy because of the good people I was surrounded with growing up,” Tharp said. “They were supportive, giving, caring and made wanting to serve something greater than myself an easy choice.”