JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- (Note: This is the first in a three-part series about NCOs with 14 or more years of enlisted service who chose to pursue careers as officers.)
In a way, U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Dustyn N. Neese’s passion for food helped lead him to his commission.
Neese, now the 316th Force Support Squadron sustainment flight commander, enlisted in 2009 as a targeting analyst. By 2020, he was a technical sergeant returning to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, for a second tour after three years in the Republic of Korea.
At the time, he and his wife, also a noncommissioned officer, were considering finishing their degrees. She suggested culinary arts.
“I was like, what am I going to do with a culinary arts degree? I’m in intel,” he recalled.
But his wife reminded him of his passion for food, and the idea stuck. Neese said he has always believed in serendipity.
“I've always been a big fan of just seeing what doors open,” he said. “You do the best you can, and then opportunities will present themselves.”
He enrolled at East Coast Polytechnic Institute, taking classes from 5 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Thursday, after his workday ended. He eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and a master’s in restaurant management.
While assigned to Air Combat Command headquarters, he met a prior-enlisted first lieutenant who had commissioned through Officer Training School.
“He told me, ‘You would be a really good candidate. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, let’s start working a nomination package,’” Neese said.
Around the same time, another friend inspired him to pursue a private pilot’s license. For six months, Neese took leave on Fridays for lessons and trained throughout the weekends.
After earning his license, he submitted an OTS package for pilot training. While deployed to Iraq, he learned he had been accepted.
When he returned, he completed six weeks of OTS at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, then began pilot training medical evaluations at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. There, an eye condition disqualified him from being rated as a pilot.
That’s when serendipity struck again. Asked about his passions during the career field selection process, Neese mentioned food and cooking. He was identified for force support because of its connection to food service and other missions.
He arrived at Joint Base Andrews in November 2024 as a brand-new second lieutenant, taking command of the FSS sustainment flight. Today, he oversees the Freedom Hall Dining Facility, two fitness centers, lodging and the base mail center.
Neese said he applies the analytical approach he honed in intelligence to his new role.
“My approach is much more like, I know there's a reg for this,” he said. “Let me spend 30 minutes reading and figuring it out for myself, informing my own opinion, before I go forth and tell others.”
One of his biggest takeaways from the transition has been the importance of mentorship. Neese is working to establish a program to help enlisted Airmen navigate the commissioning process.
He often shares his story with Airman Leadership School students, emphasizing that a commission should be driven by purpose, not pay.
“You shouldn’t seek a commission for the money,” he said. “I work way more hours than I ever thought I would. A career as an officer has to be for the challenge, and for whatever your ‘why’ is.”
Neese also sees the enlisted corps as an underutilized talent pool with vast experience and education.
“The enlisted force today has more education and skills than ever before,” he said. “A lot of Airmen have degrees, some even advanced degrees, and yet they’re still just doing their nine-to-five enlisted job with no other questions asked.”
Looking back, Neese admits he may have waited too long to make the leap, advice he now passes on to younger Airmen.
“My mentors always told me, if you’re going to make the decision, make sure you do it before 10 years,” he said. “I didn’t listen.”
For prior-enlisted Airmen who earn a commission, the path to retirement carries a unique stipulation. To retire with full benefits at their final officer grade, they must serve at least 10 years as an officer. This means that if someone -- like Neese -- has already logged 15 enlisted years in uniform, retiring after five years as an officer would result in retirement pay based on their highest enlisted rank.
It’s a rule that underscores both the challenge and commitment of making the leap from the enlisted corps to the officer corps, but Neese he has no regrets.
“I think my journey has been fascinating and fantastic, and I would hate to have changed anything,” he said. “Serendipity.”
Neese’s educational journey didn’t end with his culinary and management degrees. He is now pursuing a master’s in wine and beverage management and hopes to serve as a protocol officer in the future.