Military Appreciation Month: Newcomerstown grad joined the Air Force after high school

May is Military Appreciation month, a time when we honor and recognize the contributions and sacrifices of members of the armed forces. One of those is Austin Lambes, the son of Paul Lambes and Christine Lambes.He entered the Air Force after graduating Newcomerstown High School in 2022.

"My reason for joining was the travel benefits and for the educational offerings. I will soon be celebrating my second anniversary with the Air Force on July 5. At this time, I am not planning to extend my initial enlistment, but things do change, and I really do not have a set-in stone plan for my military career."

He is stationed at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. "Minot is most known for being home to the base, but the aviation history is rich here as well and can be explored through the memorabilia and aircrafts at the Dakota Territory Art Museum. The population is around 48,000 people so it is definitely different from Newcomerstown, and I like the bigger city feel.Austin is an armament maintenance member with a rank A1C.

"The job I do consists of working on the weapons systems and making sure they are inspected and serviceable for the B-52. In addition, I have worked on the floor with military personnel who inspect/works directing with the equipment or will transfer our equipment and get it ready for flight line counterparts. Another part of my service is to assist in the support section of our ship aiding the floor team in making sure they get necessary tools for the day, or I assist with organizing our different systems to be sure they are ready for TDY or deployments which involves packing up and making sure the requirements for travel and loading are followed properly."For anyone considering the Air Force, Austin said, "You will learn a lot and see places you never thought you would visit. I am very happy with my decision, and am glad I pursued this path.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Military Appreciation Month: Newcomerstown grad joined the Air Force after high school