Three Crows chosen for Officer Training School

  • Published
  • By Capt. Benjamin Aronson
  • 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Florida --  EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Three members from across the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing were recently selected for the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School (OTS), giving them the opportunity to commission as officers and continue to serve their nation while adding to the wing’s rapidly growing list of OTS selects since its activation in 2021.

The three members are Staff Sgt. Eric Fernau, 350th SWW Commander’s Action Group member, Staff Sgt. Mason Hagen, 87th Electronic Warfare Squadron Combat Shield electronic warfare technician, and Tech. Sgt. Jamar Davis, 453d Electronic Warfare Squadron crowd source flight data non-commissioned officer in charge.

“It’s been a long time in the making,” said Hagen, who has worked towards being selected for OTS for six years.

Hagen was selected to attend undergraduate pilot training upon commissioning, fulfilling a dream of his, but his path to OTS started with losing out on a chance to go to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“I wanted to go the [U.S. Air Force] Academy route and started that process, but then I got an Article 15 when I was an Airman,” explained Hagen. “My leadership [at the time] said I should stop that process and that the officer route isn’t going to happen. Once they told me no, that made me want it even more.”

Hagen used the drive from being told he couldn’t be an officer to better himself as an Airman. He went to Airman Leadership School where he earned the John L. Levitow Award, the highest award for enlisted Professional Military Education in the Air Force, which is presented to the student who demonstrates the most outstanding leadership and scholastic achievement throughout ALS.

From there, Hagen kept working to differentiate himself from his peers for OTS, knowing that the selection rate was low and lower even for a rated position, but he eventually received the long-awaited news from his leadership about his OTS package.

Elsewhere in the wing, Fernau also received the news he was chosen for OTS while he was out on paternity leave just as he was doubting his selection, marking the end of a journey that began at his first duty station.

“When I first got to my first duty station, the flight chief called me in and asked my goal for being in the Air Force,” said Fernau. “The first thing I told him was I wanted to commission and when those words came out of my mouth, I was like ‘well this is what I have to do now’.”

Fernau dreamed of flying for the Air Force since he was a kid but ended up enlisting as a heavy aircraft integrated avionics. His projected career field is remotely piloted aircraft pilot.

Fernau’s acceptance into OTS marks another milestone in his life, coming after he was selected for promotion to technical sergeant and after welcoming his first child.

“It feels amazing,” said Fernau. “A lot has happened, and I need to take a break, look around and be grateful for what has happened. With one major event right after the other, it feels like a roller coaster. I want to see it all come to fruition.”

Across the country at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, Davis also received the news he had been selected, though it wasn’t entirely clear at first.

“I was called into my squadron commander’s office, and he asked me who at the Wing I had upset,” said Davis. “I was told that my enlistment in the Air Force was going to be terminated, then said the reasoning was because I was going to become an officer.”

Davis was overwhelmed with emotions at the news, and appreciated the pranking-manner it was presented, citing his own reputation as the one bringing jokes to the unit.

His family, which is comprised of multiple veterans from the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force, was ecstatic at hearing the news of his acceptance at OTS, a goal he has had since he first enlisted that drove him to apply each year since being eligible, totaling 8 packages submitted.

Davis was chosen to commission and serve as a security forces officer, a job he is excited to take on and hopes to better the lives of those he will lead.

One word Davis said summed up his feelings towards the news that was mirrored by the other selectees: honored.