"...Being knocked down doesn't define you..."

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tommy Wilbourn
  • 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs

"Every three or four months I get summoned to go TDY to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio to teach the Air Force Personnel Reliability Program. PRP is designed to permit only the most trustworthy individuals access to nuclear assets. I've received several awards in the PRP community, but most recently I won the USAFE PRP Monitor of the Year award. I was also one of the sixteen members to rewrite the Air Force Manual on PRP. My career wasn't always so great though. I failed my first upgrade training test and constantly made wrong decisions. It got to the point where I was one counseling away from being kicked out. That was on me because I didn't take my job seriously. Things started to change when someone told me I had potential. They helped set me on the right path and gave me the tools I needed to succeed. If you ever feel you're beyond saving, you're wrong. You can bounce back from your mistakes; getting knocked down doesn't define you."

Staff Sgt. Scott Powers, 9th Medical Group non-commissioned officer in charge of patient administration element

Hometown: Plattsburgh, New York