Sam Bittner (HIS, ‘22) graduated from his Basic Training in the United States Air Force as the Top Graduate of his class of 797 graduates.
“It honestly just fell into my lap. God was blessing me and my steps along the way,” Sam said.
Achieving Top Graduate
What surprised Bittner the most during Basic Training was not the Physical Training (PT), but the Air Force's emphasis on education and academic excellence. There were a lot of classes, and trainees were required to study for at least an hour every day.
“So much of BMT [Basic Military Training] is focused on being able to state what you need to say clearly and concisely, and communicating effectively with the training instructors,” Sam said. “PHC prepared me well for that.” This preparation helped him stand out from the other trainees during the seven weeks of basic training.
In the fifth week, Sam took the final PT test and scored 100%. Because of this, he stood out to those in charge and was made a dorm chief, a student leadership position responsible for helping lead a flight of 56 trainees. He trained as a marksman and then, for the final basic training test, also scored 100%, the highest score in his flight.
Three days before graduation, Sam was told he was the Top Graduate. He learned the ceremony procedures all in a couple of days, from stepping out of formation during the ceremony, receiving a certificate and a plaque, saluting the commanding officer of the training wing, to leading the graduating airmen in reciting the Airman's Creed before thousands of spectators.
Why the Air Force?
After graduating from PHC, Bittner spent a year teaching fourth grade at Dominion Christian School. During that time, he also volunteered with Purcellville Fire and Rescue and earned his EMT certification.
By the end of the school year, he realized education was not the career path he wanted to pursue. Looking for a more hands-on profession, he moved to New Hampshire and joined Cheshire County's ambulance service, where he worked as an EMT for more than two years. “I wanted to see what it was like to have a job that wasn't behind the desk,” Sam said.
Though the work provided the hands-on experience he was looking for, the demands of the profession eventually led Sam to consider a different future. “The work schedule and the lifestyle of working 24-hour shifts twice a week were starting to take their toll on my physical and mental health,” he said.
Sam found himself drawn toward military service because of its reputation for high quality of life and technical jobs. After speaking with recruiters, entering the Delayed Entry Program, and spending months praying about the decision with his wife, Sam enlisted in the Air Force.
What happens now...
Sam is now training to become a Cryptologic Analyst and Reporter, a role that places him within Air Force intelligence operations. Cryptologic analysts examine and correlate intelligence gathered from target network communications and turn that information into reports for military leaders.
Their analysis can contribute to strategic, operational, and tactical decisions, including advising commanders on threats and force protection for U.S. and allied forces. The work requires Sam to sort through large amounts of information and communicate his findings clearly enough for decision-makers to act on them.
While the classified nature of his work limits what he can share about his specific responsibilities, he is eager for the challenge ahead and grateful for how a PHC education prepared him well for this position.
Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.
