No More Officer-Only AFIT

SMSgt. Charles Bilbey recently became the first enlisted space systems operator to graduate from the Air Force Institute of Technology’s new enlisted program. He had to accept a three-year service commitment to do it, but the space-based infrared systems system exploitation superintendent says it’s worth it. Bilbey had to take extra undergraduate courses, such as calculus, differential equations, and physics, at Wright State University to make up for his lack of engineering knowledge, but he managed to double up with his AFIT work and graduate in less than two years from the graduate of space systems program. Bilbey is assigned to the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.