Creed Davis describes his high school freshman self as the “definition of disorganized.” He said he carried stacks of jumbled papers down the hallway and lost his homework more often than he turned it in. He enrolled in the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) class at the start of his freshmen year, and he said this helped him learn how to “keep a schedule and stay organized.”
Three years later, Davis is now a cadet squadron commander of the AFJROTC.
As cadet squadron commander, he sets up meetings, designates projects, organizes charity events and improves recruitment for his squadron. Davis credits a lot of his newfound leadership and organizational abilities to his involvement in the AFJROTC program.
“I have a lot of relatives who have been in the military, in general, but the Air Force was something that I thought was interesting for a long time. … I’m more into science and math, and I felt like that was a more STEM part of the military, and yes, of course, my grandpa was in the air force, as well, that was definitely a driver [to join],” Davis said.
Davis said AFJROTC was a new program when he joined in 2018, and he wanted to see it grow. One of his main priorities as cadet squadron commander has been to increase publicity for the organization and recruit new members, so they can become a full-fledged squadron.
Davis also attends the Cape Career & Technology Center (CTC) aviation course, so he can learn more about piloting planes to complement his mechanical engineering interest. Before taking the course, Davis had never set foot on a plane. Now, he’s flying them.
Davis said the aviation course has been a lot of fun, but the first time getting in a plane was nerve-racking. He always thought he was afraid of heights, but he said his fear was “completely gone” as the plane soared above the earth.
“It’s so cool to think you are controlling this flying thing. It’s so weird. … I’ve always been scared of planes and stuff. I’ve never been in one and never even thought about going on one, and now, I’ve been up in one flying it,” Davis said.
Davis plans to attend Southeast Missouri State University after he graduates from Cape Central in May 2022 to study mechanical engineering. He will also join Southeast’s Air Force ROTC program to continue toward his goal of becoming a mechanical engineer in the Air Force.
Engineering has been an interest of Davis’ since he was 10 years old.
“I’ve always taken stuff apart and wanted to know how they worked and put them back together or change how they were put together to see if they do something different,” Davis said. “Technology is so interesting, and it’s going to be our future.”
Davis enjoys repairing technology as a hobby, especially phones. He said he recently fixed a broken screen on his grandmother’s phone, which is a skill Davis hopes to translate into his mechanical engineering career. He’s also interested in piloting after taking the CTC aviation course.
“The Air Force will teach you just about anything you need to know about whatever job you end up getting, but I do know there are two jobs you have to pick from in ROTC, just so if one doesn’t work out, you have a backup one. So, maybe there I can choose between piloting and technical, and whichever one I end up with, I can go with,” Davis said.
Davis has wrestled and played football in the past, but stopped after the onset of the pandemic. Now, he’s mostly involved with AFJROTC after school, but will also stay late to help anyone who needs it. Davis is always ready to serve and tries to live by the Air Force core values, in his AFJROTC role and everyday life.
“[The Air Force core values are] integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do,” Davis said. “I try to live by those as much as I can and try to keep them close to me.”
