Almost every command has at least one enlisted Sailor or Marine who is determined to become an officer through one of many commissioning programs.

AIMD has two, both from the same work center. The determined Sailors are AT3(AW) Edmond Daugherty and ATAN Katie Weber of Avionics (600) Division.

Soon Daugherty will attend the U.S. Naval Academy and Weber will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School as a precursor to attending the Air Force Academy.

But the real story is the process. Both of them spent anxious months following up on their packages.

Daugherty wanted to be in the Navy since boyhood and his dream of flying may soon become a reality. First he tried submitting a Seaman to Admiral package while deployed on board the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise as part of AIMD SEAOPDET. He was declined.

“It was a painful, long process,” Daugherty said.

His Division officer on the carrier mentioned the Naval Academy and that’s when things started rolling. He got support from his division officer and some members of VAQ-137, the squadron he supported while deployed. But a support system can only do so much.

“A lot of it falls back on you, especially with academy packages,” Daugherty said. “You sometimes have to follow up on the follow up to keep up to date on the status of his package.

Weber was actually recruited in high school by the Air Force Academy for track and field in the javelin event. She held the Montana State record of 137 feet and a district record of 140 feet.

But she decided to go into the Navy instead and arrived at AIMD Whidbey Island where the Air Force Academy people found her again.

“The coach from the Air Force Academy came and visited me here and got everything squared away to get me into prep school,” Weber said.

She added that she is grateful for a good support system.

“The academy’s advice on going from enlisted blue to officer khaki is to, ‘Go for it and do it,’” said Daugherty.

“Show you are motivated and you will find someone to help you,” she added. “And don’t get discouraged.”

Daugherty and Weber are scheduled to report to their new appointments in June.