Football
Former football player is 2017 Academy graduate
Former Falcon Josh Self is still using the lessons he learned playing Air Force football. The 2017 Academy graduate and first lieutenant, graduates this week from Basic Course qualification and is now combat ready for the F-35, the Air Force's newest fighter jet.
"Football has prepared me more than anything for this," the former tight end said. "Flying fighters is not easy. It is a challenging path to get here. The mental toughness you develop through four years of football at the Academy and the fortitude that comes with that, helps develop the right kind of person to fly fighters."
Self's graduation ceremony on June 5 at Eglin, Air Force Base, Fla., will be virtual, will be like so many in 2020, and the guest speaker is the Academy's own Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria. That day will complete his nine months of training with 30-plus check flights to make him combat ready.
Self was a two-year letterman in football at Air Force and his senior class became one of the most successful in program history. The class played in three bowl games, posted a pair of 10-win seasons and won the 20th Commander-in-Chief's Trophy in Air Force history, the most of any academy. The 2016 team finished 10-3 with a 45-21 victory over South Alabama in the Arizona Bowl. Self helped pave the way for an offense that was third in the nation in rushing (317.4), eighth in passing efficiency (163.6), sixth in third-down percentage (50.5) and fourth in time of possession (34:03).
Following graduation, he headed to Sheppard AFB, Texas, for undergraduate pilot training. He graduated near the top of his class in May 2019 and earned a selection to train for the F-35. He then went to Randolph AFB, Texas, for Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals before arriving at Eglin to work specifically in the F-35.
The F-35 is a multi-role fighter, which can do both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. It's a joint strike fighter being utilized by NATO, making it a multinational program. Most F-35 pilots transitioned from other Air Force fighters. The most experienced pilots stood up the community, but Self is one of the new wave of lieutenants to join the force.
"It's really cool to be part of the new community," Self said. "A lot of other fighter communities have cultures that have been formed and developed through decades of flying those legacy jets. The F-35 is a young community and we're still developing that culture. It's pretty neat to be part of shaping what that community is going to be."
Self, a native of Coppell, Texas, turned to a familiar, nearby face for inspiration. The long-time Dallas Cowboys fan followed former Falcon standout Chad Hennings, a 1988 Air Force graduate who flew the A-10 in the Air Force before helping the Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships. He returns often to the Academy to share his experiences with cadets.
"I always loved hearing him when he came back and talked with us," Self said. "He's an American hero in my opinion. He's a big inspiration. He played football at Air Force, then flew in the Air Force."
Self helps to continue that legacy. He welcomes the opportunity to speak with cadet-athletes and share his experiences. But first, he has a busy summer ahead. He and fiancé Sara Bartles, a 2019 graduate and former football manager, are getting married July 18. He will then travel to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, for his first full assignment as a fighter pilot. He is ready for the challenge, especially taking the lessons he's learned from Air Force football.
"I've noticed athletes tend to do well in pilot training and flying, specifically fighters," he commented. "I think a lot of the skills we learned on the field with making split-second decisions and working as a team is what flying fighters takes. That competitive edge of playing Division I football helps."
"Football has prepared me more than anything for this," the former tight end said. "Flying fighters is not easy. It is a challenging path to get here. The mental toughness you develop through four years of football at the Academy and the fortitude that comes with that, helps develop the right kind of person to fly fighters."
Self's graduation ceremony on June 5 at Eglin, Air Force Base, Fla., will be virtual, will be like so many in 2020, and the guest speaker is the Academy's own Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria. That day will complete his nine months of training with 30-plus check flights to make him combat ready.
Self was a two-year letterman in football at Air Force and his senior class became one of the most successful in program history. The class played in three bowl games, posted a pair of 10-win seasons and won the 20th Commander-in-Chief's Trophy in Air Force history, the most of any academy. The 2016 team finished 10-3 with a 45-21 victory over South Alabama in the Arizona Bowl. Self helped pave the way for an offense that was third in the nation in rushing (317.4), eighth in passing efficiency (163.6), sixth in third-down percentage (50.5) and fourth in time of possession (34:03).
Following graduation, he headed to Sheppard AFB, Texas, for undergraduate pilot training. He graduated near the top of his class in May 2019 and earned a selection to train for the F-35. He then went to Randolph AFB, Texas, for Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals before arriving at Eglin to work specifically in the F-35.
The F-35 is a multi-role fighter, which can do both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. It's a joint strike fighter being utilized by NATO, making it a multinational program. Most F-35 pilots transitioned from other Air Force fighters. The most experienced pilots stood up the community, but Self is one of the new wave of lieutenants to join the force.
"It's really cool to be part of the new community," Self said. "A lot of other fighter communities have cultures that have been formed and developed through decades of flying those legacy jets. The F-35 is a young community and we're still developing that culture. It's pretty neat to be part of shaping what that community is going to be."
Self, a native of Coppell, Texas, turned to a familiar, nearby face for inspiration. The long-time Dallas Cowboys fan followed former Falcon standout Chad Hennings, a 1988 Air Force graduate who flew the A-10 in the Air Force before helping the Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships. He returns often to the Academy to share his experiences with cadets.
"I always loved hearing him when he came back and talked with us," Self said. "He's an American hero in my opinion. He's a big inspiration. He played football at Air Force, then flew in the Air Force."
Self helps to continue that legacy. He welcomes the opportunity to speak with cadet-athletes and share his experiences. But first, he has a busy summer ahead. He and fiancé Sara Bartles, a 2019 graduate and former football manager, are getting married July 18. He will then travel to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, for his first full assignment as a fighter pilot. He is ready for the challenge, especially taking the lessons he's learned from Air Force football.
"I've noticed athletes tend to do well in pilot training and flying, specifically fighters," he commented. "I think a lot of the skills we learned on the field with making split-second decisions and working as a team is what flying fighters takes. That competitive edge of playing Division I football helps."
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Self becomes one of first lieutenants to certify in Air Force's newest fighter - U.S. Air Force Academy Athletics
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