Warrior of the Week: 2nd Lt. Brendan Morin

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bonnie Grantham
  • 319 Air Base Wing Public Affairs
CAVALIER AIR FORCE STATION, N.D. --  Rank and name: 2nd Lt. Brendan Morin

Unit: 10th Space Warning Squadron

Duty title: Chief, Standards and Evaluation

Time in service: 1 year

Time on station: 1 year

Hometown: Crown Point, Ind.

1. Why is serving in the Air Force important to you?

Wearing the uniform is a way to contribute to something much bigger than myself. I think if everyone gave back to their communities the way our service men and women give to our nation, we could leave the world a much better place.

2. What moment or accomplishment as a Warrior of the North/Spartan are you most proud of and why?

Being selected for Chief of Standardization and Evaluation has been my biggest accomplishment up here so far. Pretty much all the new lieutenants start out doing the exact same job (Crew Commander), so it can be difficult at times to differentiate yourself. I'm happy to assume the additional responsibilities, and moving from a shiftwork schedule to a day schedule is definitely a welcome benefit.

3. What is your favorite part of your job?

The best part of my job is definitely the feeling that I'm directly contributing to the mission in a meaningful way. With so few personnel up here, every job becomes important, and at times making the right decisions can mean the difference between mission success and mission failure. Knowing that our leadership has entrusted us with the ability to make these decisions provides a personal stake in ensuring mission success.

4. Who inspires you and why?

We had an astronaut come up to visit a few weeks ago, and getting a chance to talk to him was inspiring. Not that I particularly dream of being an astronaut, but his outlook and tenacity in pursuit of his dream was admirable - he applied to be an astronaut four times over the course of 13 years, and was rejected on three separate occasions before he was finally picked up. Astronaut or otherwise, that kind of dedication and persistence is admirable; it's inspiring to know that a can-do attitude really can pay off in the end.

5. What's the first thing that made you think Cavalier AFS is a cool place other than the temperature or weather?

It's definitely remote but there really are some benefits, like great fresh food at the farmers' market in the summer, zip lining in the fall, or easy access to snowboarding or ice fishing in the winter. Up here you kind of have to make your own adventure - there are a lot of fun things to do, it just takes some research and creativity to find them! Plus, because it's such a small station, there are tons of opportunities for professional development and jobs that might be harder to come by at other bases.