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Airman lives out dream in the sky

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Colin Cates
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar --  For more than sixty years Airmen have been serving in the, U.S. Air Force, across different ranks and in many career fields. Having the opportunity to serve ones country is something most Service members feel is a great honor, privilege and even a dream come true.

For Airman Cory Drummond Jr, 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, who just completed his first deployment, his dream and service are one in the same.

"I knew I wanted to fly, travel the world and protect my country, so I put boom operator as my number one choice," said Drummond. "A few weeks later I got a call from my recruiter, who told me I got it and I'm not afraid to say I cried when I heard the news. It was a dream come true and I would get to do everything I dreamed of and so much more."

For a kid from small town Camden, New Jersey, having the opportunity to refuel jets is an experience he never thought would be possible, let alone be a way to make a living.

"My favorite experience thus far as a boom would be my first time refueling an F-22, I was only supposed to have F-16 Fighters on that mission and out of nowhere we hear Raptor Flight Check two," said Drummond. "Sure enough that beautiful bird rolls in behind us and I almost lost it."

Family is very important to 22 year old Drummond, who was raised by his mother with a younger brother and sister who call him their role model. He loves the tight knit family of being aircrew and the trust that is built between members.

"My first deployment was actually a great experience, I enjoyed it," said Drummond. "We are a family up there and each of us counts on each other to get the job done. I got some much needed experience that I feel will better allow other crews I fly with to trust my judgment as a boom operator."

As much as he loves his job it is not all work for the young Drummond.

"At Kadena Air Base, Japan I volunteer through the wired bean which is a facility run by the Kadena Chapel," said Drummond. "It's a place where all Airmen can go to relax study, call home, watch movies, or play games. It is, in a way a community center for airmen in japan. When I am not volunteering there I enjoy barbequing with friends and traveling the island or hitting the beach."

Finding a purpose and meaning in one's job is very important, and, for Drummond, he describes it with three simple words: integrity, service, and excellence.

"Integrity because being aircrew is a big boy program, I am in charge of my training and how far I develop depends on my work ethic and my ability to take criticism," said Drummond. "Service because the job we do has no schedule we work Monday through Sunday to support whatever missions we have lined up 24/7. Excellence because to excel in this job you have no choice but to be excellent, if I'm not excellent on any given day it could be fatal."

It is very apparent that Drummond is a young man living out his dream and the sky is the limit for this Airman.

"To me coming from a small city, it is pretty amazing to even be flying, and at the end of the day is a rewarding job to be able to keep these guys in the air to defend our troops on the ground," said Drummond. "Being able to see and experience all I have thus far in my life is something I would have never got to do if it was not for the opportunity given to me by the Air Force."