杏吧原创

When Tyler Davis 鈥�19 was 7 years old, his dad took him to an air show in San Diego. It was the thunder and precision that got his attention. The Blue Angels flight team tore over them, performing a flawless routine.

They left more than vapor trails behind. They planted a dream in Davis鈥� head.

鈥淎t that point, I didn鈥檛 know anything about jets, or what they were,鈥� says Davis, who was recently on campus to keynote UMass Lowell鈥檚 2023 Veteran鈥檚 Day Flag Ceremony. 鈥淏ut at that moment, I knew I wanted to be a pilot.鈥�

Davis joined the Air Force in 2011, but knew that as an enlisted member, there was little chance he鈥檇 ever fly aircraft. Instead, he was assigned to work in intelligence. He excelled. And he loved it.聽

鈥淚 always loved flight, but I fell in love with the enlisted corps and especially the combat arms and special operations professionals,鈥� he says. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2016, and his close work with special operations forces left Davis yearning to serve with them.

He wanted to pursue a commission, and was honorably discharged from the Air Force as a staff sergeant so that he could work on his degree.聽

His dream came true at UML, through Air Force ROTC Detachment 345. His leadership as cadet wing commander led Maj. Todd Meyers, then ROTC鈥檚 director of operations, to recommend that he compete for a flight position. He was selected in February 2018.聽

鈥淚 was blown away 鈥� extremely ecstatic,鈥� recalls Davis, who is now a U.S. Air Force captain assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron headquartered out of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

Davis chose UMass Lowell because he had a friend from the Lowell area, and he was impressed with the city鈥檚 diversity. UML was affordable, and the location was good, he says. And there was an Air Force ROTC.聽

鈥淲hat sold it for me was learning that veterans support here is extremely high,鈥� he says.

As cadet wing commander for the ROTC unit, Davis oversaw planning and handled organizational duties. His tenure also saw the unit鈥檚 first formal aerospace education pipeline, allowing cadets to explore the possibility of flying, including a ground school education on flight and a free orientation flight. The detachment also has the region鈥檚 only ROTC flight simulator.

While at UMass Lowell, Davis maintained altitude in the classroom, too.聽

He was among 14 graduates of the Class of 2019 to earn a Chancellor鈥檚 Medal after maintaining a 4.0 grade point average on his way to a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science. He concentrated on international relations, researching foreign military doctrine with a focus on human rights concerns. He also earned AFROTC 345鈥檚 distinguished graduate award.

鈥淯Mass Lowell truly made me a better man,鈥� says Davis, who is now a mission pilot and chief of plans and programs. 鈥淭he faculty are amazing; they see their job as a calling, a mission.鈥�