The Situation: deciding your future Published Jan. 31, 2012 By 2nd Lt. Avante Graves 436th Comptroller Squadron DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The Situation When I was in Reserve Officers' Training Corps, I knew a fellow cadet who was not selected for field training during her sophomore year. This effectively meant she had to repeat an entire year of the program. She told me she was considering leaving ROTC because of this, which would have ended her chance to become an Air Force officer. Obviously, she was very emotional after hearing the bad news and ready to make the decision based on her current feelings. The problem was she might have seen the same issue entirely different after she calmed down and thought about her choice logically. I wanted her to make a choice she would not regret later, so I sat down with her to talk things out. I took a support role, asking her questions about her situation. Did it make more sense to leave ROTC now or stay another year to finish it out? How could she succeed next time? What was the best action to take at the moment? She listed out the pro's and con's, and priorities, and came to a decision - she stayed. Next year, she was selected for field training and on her way to becoming a lieutenant. The Solution If an Airman ever comes to you with a similar issue, it is best to let them calm down and think out the decision logically. Make a list of their priorities so they can visualize the benefits and consequences of each choice. Lend some of your experience into the process, but remember it is their decision to make. Remind them that making a permanent decision based off a temporary situation is never a good idea. Physical Training test failures happen; promotions do not always go through; learn from it and move in the right direction.