MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Three Moody Airmen recently traded in their boots for books as part of the Air Force's Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program.
Staff Sgts. Crystal Hughes, Michael Jessup and Jacqlyn Sanchez were recently accepted to the NECP, which allows enlisted Airmen to become commissioned nurses while still maintaining their active duty status.
Sergeant Hughes was previously a member of the 23rd Medical Group as an aeromedical service craftsman, while Sergeant Jessup was part of the 23rd Maintenance Operations Squadron as a HC-130 maintenance instructor. Sergeant Sanchez served as an aerospace ground equipment mechanic in the 23rd Maintenance Squadron before being picked up by the NECP.
The program was introduced in 2007 to fill a growing gap in the decreasing number of nurses commissioned in the Air Force.
"For the first time in 30 years the Air Force nursing corps fell below 90-percent staffing and is currently at 88-percent staffing," said Lt. Col. Terry Broussard, 23rd Medical Group chief nurse. "With the help of the NECP we will be filling that 12 percent void until the year 2012."
The program is a two-part process. The first-half is a paid-in-full bachelor-level education with a nursing degree. The second is an automatic bid into the commissioned ranks of the Air Force.
"The commissioning program is a lengthy, difficult process," said Colonel Broussard. "Initially, applicants send in an academic package where a board reviews their past grades and makes sure Airmen have already been accepted into a bachelor's program for nursing.
"If their academic package is accepted, the board will meet with the applicant to go over enlisted performance reports, recommendations from supervisors, and a final mandatory recommendation from the chief nurse of their base," added Colonel Broussard. "They are not only applying to go to nursing school, but also for a commission into the Air Force."
Moody had the highest amount of selects for the NECP of any wing in the Air Force. The base scored three of the 15 selects from the recent group of NECP applicants.
"Currently, Moody is three-for-three when it comes to applicants being selected for the NECP," said Colonel Broussard. "I was extremely impressed by all three of our applicants; I would be honored to serve on any nursing crew with any of our selects.
"Each select had outstanding records," he said. "I was impressed by each applicant's grade point average, organizational skills and talents. I really can't say enough about them."
Sergeant Hughes began the process of applying for the commissioning program in December 2006 and took six months to find out she had been accepted.
"The process as a whole was hard and stressful; a lot of sweat, work and tears went into that package," said Sergeant Hughes. "I owe a lot to Colonel Broussard. He was a great motivator and helped me realize that I could accomplish my goals."
Colonel Broussard said he became a proponent for the program after knowing a maintenance Airman, who put himself through nursing school and became an outstanding commissioned nurse on his staff.
"I have to give credit where credit is due," said Colonel Broussard. "All our applicant selects put together phenomenal packages, and they deserve to be recognized as going above-and-beyond the call of duty.
The colonel said he would advise any Airman looking at commissioning through the NECP to begin planning early since the process is lengthy; some applicants may need to take certain college-level courses before applying.
Moody Airmen interested in becoming the next applicant-selects for NECP must have completed the first two years of their college education with exemplary grades. They can then set up an appointment with Colonel Broussard to go over their applicant package.
For more information, call 257-3166