Military Pathway
Air National Guard
F-15 Pilot: Curtis Yoshimoto
In high school Curtis Yoshimoto didn't aim high. After he graduated, his immediate future really didn't look too bright. But…today he is touching the sky, as a F-15 pilot in the Air National Guard.
"Growing up I always thought I would be a mechanic because that's what my dad and grandfather did. I just didn't set any high goals for myself," said First Lieutenant Curtis Yoshimoto.
Lost In Transition
Yoshimoto graduated from Kailua High School in 1993. Unsure of a career or of his future, he enrolled in the liberal arts program at Kapiolani Community College (KCC). "I was an average student [in high school]," he says, as he takes a minute to think back 14 years. "I think I graduated with a 2.0? I went to KCC, but it wasn't working out for me. I was wasting money, and I wasn't going anywhere. After a couple of years, I realized that I was headed nowhere so I had to start doing something else."
Phase II
After three years of college, Yoshimoto enlisted in the Air National Guard at age 21. "I enlisted because my father was in the Guard and it seemed like the right thing to do."
Upon enlisting, he had to take an ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test, which is a multiple-aptitude test administered by the Department of Defense. The test lets new recruits know what jobs they have qualified for once basic training is finished. Yoshimoto's scores were good enough that he could pick whatever enlisted job was available. He opted for Boom Operator, which is an in-flight refueler aboard the KC-145 tankers.
Feeling The Burn
In 1998 a burning desire made him return to school to become a pilot. He attended night school at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Wayland Baptist University, on a full time basis, until he eventually graduated almost 1,095 days from the day he enrolled. "I started getting hungry for more. The job I did was good, but there was something inside me that wanted more. I knew I had to finish college, without that, the door was going to close for me."
A Boyhood Dream
Becoming a pilot was a childhood dream that Yoshimoto never thought was attainable. He was selected for the Air National Guard's pilot training course, which is a two-year commitment from the applicants. Those selected for the course must start the training two years before their 3oth birthday. Yoshimoto was selected for the course in 2001, after he graduated from college. "I always wanted to be a pilot when I was younger, but I never thought it was something I could ever do."
Making It Official
The first portion of pilot training, or as Yoshimoto calls it, "undergraduate training," is a year-long introduction to becoming a pilot. Once you complete that, you are considered an official Air Force Pilot.
Once he wrapped up the introductory course, Yoshimoto was required to take Introduction to Fighting Fundamentals (I.F.F.), which is a seven-month course on dog fighting. I.F.F. training lets Air Force pilots simulate flight in a T-38, getting them acclimated to cockpit pressure and temperatures, as well as putting them in actual combat situations. Once that's completed, the pilots enter the final leg of the two-year pilot training course.
Saving The Best For Last
F-15 training is saved for the final three months of the two-year stint because it's the most intense, and has the highest washout rate than any other aircraft training in the Air Force. Training is anywhere between five to seven days a week, depending on what had to be learned in the upcoming weeks. The trainees spend 12 hours a day covering everything from simulation to flight training. Oh by the way, class started bright and early, at 6 in the morning. "F-15 training is the hardest thing I ever went through. It was pretty fast and furious."
A Little Q.T.
Once Yoshimoto finished F-15 training, he was required to partake in Mission Qualification Training (M.Q.T.) with other pilots in his unit. The purpose of the M.Q.T. is to wrap up and reinforce everything Yoshimoto learned over the past two years. Once that was completed, he became a full-fledged wingman. To fly lead, it takes years of experience and a recommendation from a commander. First Lieutenant Yoshimoto's M.Q.T commenced in February 2006.
Nothing Compares
He is now a full-time pilot in the Air National Guard, and never in his wildest dreams would he have dreamt flying an F-15 Eagle. "I can't describe to you what it feels like to be a pilot in the Air National Guard. Nothing compares to being up in an F-15. It's the best feeling in the world."
The feeling Yoshimoto gets when he's flying in an F-15 is probably comparable to just knowing he accomplished what he never thought was possible. The impossible is truly nothing when you have a burning desire. "Once you have that fire burning within you can achieve anything in life."
