How Arabic Study Abroad, Field Training & Cyber Career Opportunities are Shaping a Future Air Force Officer

By Stephanie Godward, Communications and Marketing Director, College of Arts & Sciences  

Cadet Major Joseph Reynolds studied the Arabic language in Jordan, not only transforming his worldview but also giving him life-shaping experiences like scuba diving in the Red Sea, swimming in the Dead Sea, and witnessing Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 

“I had never been out of the country before,” Reynolds said. “The culture shock was very intense, but I loved it and I developed so much more respect for different parts of the world, and different ways of life, different ways of thought, and learning about Islamic culture.” 

A political science major in his junior year, Reynolds is a member of UofL’s Air Force ROTC. Originally from Hazard, Kentucky, he will graduate in spring 2027. 

“If there are people interested in combining military life with their A&S degree, I would say take advantage of those opportunities that are not requirements,” Reynolds said. “Do those extracurriculars because I learned a lot from studying abroad.” 

The Air Force ROTC has given Reynolds many opportunities to grow and explore his options for a career in the military. He recently had the chance to visit the Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he connected on a deeper level with the culture, and discovered new possibilities for his professional future. 

"I learned a lot about different careers that I didn’t know existed,” he said. "They are big on cyber careers, and one thing I learned is that you do not need a computer science or STEM degree to get into a cyber career. I am eligible for some of those careers, and they are really fascinating; they are not just sitting behind a computer.” 

Some of the cyber career options would have him deployed with ground troops or people in the army in helping set up their communication systems on a base.  

“I thought that was really appealing to me. For us juniors, we get our job assignments in late March or early April, and that is on my career list,” he said. 

In addition, he had the chance to speak with Air Force personnel to learn more about the culture – seeing the real-world work environment made Reynolds more excited for the future. 

“Major General Matthew Wolfe Davidson, Commander of the Second Air Force, invited me and the other cadets in the program to have dinner at his house with his family. I met him and lots of other really interesting people and asked a lot of questions,” Reynolds said. “That experience showed me how serious this is. Him dedicating his time to take us in and open his home, it shows that he sees us as the next generation of people who will fill his shoes one day.” 

Reynolds’s experience at field training also showed him that he has developed the ability to respond quickly in emergency situations. Field training varies across military branches, but for Air Force ROTC and Space Force ROTC, cadets complete this in between their second and third years.  

Reynolds traveled to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama for field training that lasted around three weeks.  

“It’s a lot of marching, working out, basic military knowledge, first aid, and you have a lot of lectures on military operations,” he said. “It’s supposed to increase stress and to prepare you to take on more of a leadership role in the program.” 

About halfway through his field training experience, he noticed a fellow cadet choking during lunch. There was a big commotion, plates fell to the ground, and he saw a crowd of people standing around the person in trouble.  

“I ran over, gave him the Heimlich, and waited until he could start breathing again,” Reynolds said. “When he started coughing, I knew he was getting air, so that’s when I went back to my table and then continued on.” 

Reynolds said he simply did what had to be done to help his fellow cadet. 

“I felt a lot of adrenaline and was nervous because it was a scary experience to see someone choking but I just acted in the moment. When there’s someone you care about in trouble like that, your adrenaline takes over,” he said. 

Reynolds said that his political science courses have trained him for professional life – and for life in the military. 

“Something that has helped me a lot are the international relations classes, especially the ones I have taken with Associate Professor of Political Science Kristopher Grady,” he said. “I have taken international relations, intro to terrorism, and national and international security, and those classes have given me a perspective of the importance of the military in the world and global affairs.” 

Learning about how peace can be maintained through deterrence has given him perspective while learning more about US allies and adversaries across the globe.  

“That has definitely given me motivation because it applies the Air Force ROTC to the real world and what I am going to do someday,” he said.