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Air Force Reserve expands; Welcomes ROTC Cadets

By Senior Airman Brett Clashman, 926th Wing / Published December 06, 2016

First Lt. John Kuttner, 926th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintenance operations officer, joined the ranks of the 926th Wing in Sept. 2016, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Kuttner completed his bachelor's degree in Russian at Arizona State University and begins his maintenance operations officer training on Nov. 7, 2016. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Brett Clashman)
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First Lt. John Kuttner, 926th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintenance operations officer, joined the ranks of the 926th Wing in Sept. 2016, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Kuttner completed his bachelor's degree in Russian at Arizona State University and begins his maintenance operations officer training on Nov. 7, 2016. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Brett Clashman)

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John Kuttner was your typical college student at Arizona State University in previous years; unsure of the direction he wanted to take himself before coming across a ROTC or Reserve Officers’ Training Corps during orientation. Fast forward to September 2016, Kuttner commissioned into the U.S. Air Force Reserve to be a maintenance operations officer with the 926th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

For the first time in 2016, the Reserve received approval to bring in ROTC cadets directly into their services. According to Air Force Reserve Command, there were 80 applications and they’re looking for bring in between 15 to 20 cadets this year, with Kuttner being one of them. It’s a strength of the Reserve with college students having the opportunity to serve but also retain a civilian job.

Kuttner, being familiar with the Air Force due to his parents being prior enlisted service members, expressed he wanted to continue to carry on his family’s legacy in the military.

“Both of my parents were prior enlisted and I thought it’d be a good fit at the time,” said Kuttner, a native of Phoenix, Ariz. “My undergraduate program in school was in Russian and it was a highly-desirable asset the Air force needed, so I commissioned as soon as I finished school.”

Kuttner expressed excitement for being a part of the 926th Wing.

“I came here to be the new maintenance operations officer for the 926th AMXS. I’ll be the first new lieutenant straight out of school to fill the responsibility in the squadron’s history,” Kuttner stated. “Lt. Col. Black as well as rest of the counterparts here in the wing have been nothing but great, and I’m really excited to be a part of the team.”