I have spent the past couple days writing my own performance appraisal and award that will sum up my two years here at Brooks City-Base. As I struggle to put together a story of my accomplishments at Brooks, I wonder what my legacy will be. What will people think of me when I depart this base? I would like to think that I did a good job here, but I was only here for 2 years, and I was gone for 7-8 months of that due to TDYs and leave. The first couple months I was not expected to do much here but learn. That leaves only one year’s worth of work out of a possible two that I must establish as my legacy, my contribution to the greater good at AFRL Detachment 5. Either I suck at evaluating myself, or I did not do much here at Brooks. I feel as if I am leaving here having accomplished nothing at Brooks itself. I know I made a difference during my TDY to Kirtland, but that seems to be the only positive contribution I have made to the Air Force while I have been here. Do I suck as an officer? Do I suck as an engineer? I just don’t know. I do know that I can not wait to get to my next assignment at Lackland and reboot my career.


UPDATE:
I revisited this post one year later and can unequivocally state that I did make an impression at Brooks. I was highly respected, very much liked, and somewhat revered. I still look back at my two years at Brooks as a disappointing waste of time. I am happy to be here at Lackland.

Walt Kilar, Cubicle Engineer