Portrait of a Professional: April 2011

  • Published
Moffett Federal Airfield, Calif. --  Portrait of a Professional is a monthly profile of an outstanding Staff Sergeant or below. Senior Airman Jason Pak, with the 129th Security Forces Squadron, is featured in this month's Portrait of a Professional.

What is your favorite memory in the Air Force?
The best part of being in the Air Force is getting all the training you can. The combat arms and weapon training is great, it's such a range of heavy weaponry.

What motivated you to enlist in the Air Force?
When my brother joined the Army, I wanted to be an MP (military police) in the Army until I found out about the 129th and I joined Security Forces. I went to college for a while and decided it wasn't really for me. After 9-11 a couple of my friends joined the army and went down range. I thought it sounded pretty fun, so I joined the Air Force to go down range as Security Forces.

How has being an Airman changed your outlook on life?
I can't really explain it, I just used to be a knucklehead before I left for the military. After going through everything when you come back, you're just a better person. You have to be, you can't really mess around anymore.

What's the most important lesson you've learned in the military?
Integrity, do the right thing when no one is watching you. Don't cut any corners in anything. Even though in Security Forces we only drill twice a month, you're always in the military. Just because you're in civilian status, you're military regardless.

If you could deploy anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would go to Iraq if I had the chance, to Baghdad more specifically because my older brother is there now. I haven't seen him in half a year, and he's still got a long way to go.

If you could choose any Air Force job, which would it be? Why?
I would go to fuels. There are a lot of civilian jobs available for that career field. Especially with aircrafts, it's almost like job security. But I would really like to deploy while in Security Forces.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Fremont, Calif.

What is your job in the civilian world?
I work Security on base for NASA. I actually, got that job thanks to my experience with Security Forces here.

What are your hobbies?
I fish like crazy, my brother and I actually used to disappear for weeks just to go fish. I change a lot of diapers right now with my eight-month-old daughter, any extra time I have I spend with her.