NECP selects Laughlin Airman

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jimmie D. Pike
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A Laughlin Airman has been accepted into the Nurses Enlisted Commissioning Program for the 2014 calendar year.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Buttone, 47th Medical Operations Squadron NCO in charge of dental logistics, will begin the process to switch from an enlisted dental hygienist to a nursing officer in the Air Force.

The NECP is a competitive program that offers active-duty Airmen the opportunity to obtain their bachelor's degree in nursing for the Air Force. Airmen in the program go to school full time while remaining on active duty status, and receive a tuition and fees scholarship for up to $15,000 as well as a book allowance.

"It's very humbling to be one of 47 selectees in the Air Force for this program," said Buttone. "It's a hard program to get into, and it's still surreal to me."

After being selected into the program, Buttone reflected on why he decided to pursue nursing.

"I initially started school to be a dental hygienist, but after taking a class on anatomy and physiology I became interested in the body and decided that I may want to become a nurse," said Buttone. "My wife being a nurse is what made me decide, yeah, I want to become a nurse."

Even though his wife may have helped him come to the final decision, members of the Laughlin Dental Clinic have supported and pushed him throughout the process.

"The Dental Flight is like a family," said Maj. Linda Coates, 47th Medical Group chief of dental services. "So once Buttone decided to complete his pre-requisites and aim for applying to the Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program, we all took a role in helping him accomplish this goal. Not just because he is deserving of this commission, but also because he would do the same for another member of this team."

With his time at Laughlin Air Force Base coming to an end, Buttone acknowledges the support he has had from his team of family and friends in the Air Force.

"It's been a long road and I couldn't have done it without the people who were behind me," said Buttone. "You don't get into a program like this and get your commission without a team of people helping out."