Hello my friends, and welcome back to “The Conversation Network”. This week, I catch up with my good friend Matt Merkel, whom I met ten years ago when we were both assigned to flight 633 at the 331st Training Squadron during basic military training. During our time in boot camp, Matt was very quickly thrust into a leadership role within our flight, a hat that he has continued to wear throughout his very impressive military career as both an Air Traffic Controller and now a B-52 Pilot. We take a very brief walk down memory lane when we share the parts about basic training we disliked the most, aside from, well, all of it. He shares with us his stories about what pushed him to enlist at age 26, his pathway from an enlisted member to a commissioned Officer in the Air Force, and what characteristics he feels are key to being a good leader.
Shoutout to his lovely wife Nicky for the fantastic Christmas cards she creates each year, and for helping me stay up on my celebrity gossip during boot camp. You the bomb girl! It was great to catch up with him, and I hope you enjoy this episode.
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