A 1997 Oxford High School graduate was recently honored for his service and contributions to the United States Air Force.

Lt. Col. Brent Curtis received the Meritorious Service Medal – the third of his career – for the three years he served with U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA).

Created in 1969, the Meritorious Service Medal is the counterpart of the Bronze Star Medal. It is meant to recognize meritorious noncombatant service.

Curtis spent two years as the branch chief for future operations and one year as the executive officer to the Third Air Force – Seventeenth Air Force Commander.

Headquartered at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, USAFE-AFAFRICA is a major command of the U.S. Air Force that directs air operations in a theater that spans three continents and contains 104 independent states. More than 35,000 active-duty, reserve, Air National Guard and civilian employees are assigned to USAFE-AFAFRICA.

USAFE-AFAFRICA’s roles include wartime, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations as well as training and equipping Air Force units pledged to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Curtis, the son of Oxford Township Trustee Jack Curtis, said the medal is a “reminder” that the Air Force “publicly recognizes (his) hard work and dedication.” He was grateful his commander “was willing to recognize me with my family, friends and teammates present.”

He embarked on his military career immediately following his graduation from OHS.

Curtis spent four years as a cadet in the Air Force Academy in Colorado before being commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2001.

“I decided to join (in order) to serve my country and pursue a career steeped in leadership and anchored by aviation,” he said.

He’s currently receiving training at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. When he’s done, Curtis will be assigned to Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi to teach new USAF pilots basic flying and airmanship skills.

“Teaching, coaching and leading” young airmen is the most rewarding part of the job for Curtis.

“These airmen will exceed all expectations if you equip them with information and tools, and empower them with the responsibility and authority to contribute to the team effort,” he said.

Looking back over his youth, Curtis believes Oxford prepared him for his military career “by providing a balanced set of challenges with a great group of peers.”

“The (high) school was well-equipped to prepare me for the advanced academic challenges associated with earning an electrical engineering degree,” he said. “My experiences on the soccer and baseball teams provided me (with) exposure to (the) teamwork skills necessary to follow and lead small teams . . . I appreciated the math and science classes, and enjoyed the classroom environment and instruction that (teacher) Mr. (Dave) Carson provided.”

Curtis added his “experiences working in the community enhanced” the lessons he learned from his parents about “hard work and dedication.”

To the young people reading this story, Curtis recommends they “consider what the military can offer you.”

“If you find it appealing, the military can provide you a path to meet your needs,” he said. “The best part is the satisfaction of serving your country while you benefit from all it has to offer.”

The best advice Curtis can give is to “know your purpose.’

“This will help you determine what to prioritize in your life,” he said. “You will never have enough time to do everything you want to do, so be sure to apply your time, energy (and) resources in a way that supports your top priorities and purpose in life.

“You can always learn new things or buy new stuff, but you will not be given more time. Use it wisely.”