Warrior of the Week: Tech. Sgt. Kelby LaJoie

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Luis Loza Gutierrez
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  

Warrior of the Week: Tech. Sgt. Kelby LaJoie

Rank and name: Tech. Sgt. Kelby LaJoie

Unit: 10th Space Warning Squadron, Cavalier Air Force Station

Duty title: Chief, Operations Flight

Time in service: 10 years, 6 months

Hometown: Aberdeen, S.D.

Why is serving in the Air Force important to you?

The Air Force is a dream machine. It can literally take you anywhere you want to go. Not just geographically but in terms of your career as well. I joined with this seemingly fantastical idea of working in Air Force Space Command. For a small town South Dakota boy that concept was barely tangible. Here I am 10 years later and I've flown GPS (geographic positioning system) satellites, deployed with space capabilities to Iraq and Japan, and now I was able to get a tour close to home in a part of country I love doing missile warning and space surveillance. I still don't necessarily know what I want to do when I grow up but I've been very blessed with the oddest complication. I'm unable to narrow down the options via things like educational limitations or "facts of life". The Air Force can literally take you anywhere.

What's one moment or accomplishment you are you most proud of and why?

Being selected for the Distinguished Graduate Award at the NCO Academy was a great moment. To be selected out of 126 students not only for academics but by your peers and instructors was a very humbling and gratifying experience.

What is your favorite part of your job?

To be part of such a small, specialized, cutting edge community with national and global impact. Space is just such an amazing career field; the programs and projects you get to be involved in are literally out of this world.

Who inspires you and why?

The leaders and peers I've had during my career. Just looking at the monumental challenges they've encountered and overcome operating in such an emergent field while facing ever increasing fiscal constraints and cultural changes.

What's the first thing that made you think Cavalier Air Force Station was a cool place other than the temperature or weather?

Growing up in northern South Dakota allowed me to fall in love with the area. Being an avid hunter and fisherman, this is truly God's country. It's true we have very harsh winters at times but I think if you have never experienced one you never truly experience the magic of spring. We are never in danger of taking summer for granted and I love that. Additionally the small town farm communities offer a quality of life that's been lost in such a large portion of country.