As a youth, 2nd Lt. Zachary Anderson, 908th Civil Engineering Squadron officer, didn’t have to think too much about what he wanted to pursue in life; most of his family served in careers as first responders, law enforcement or in the military.

His great-grandfather served in the Army Air Corps, which ignited his interest in the Air Force, while he also developed an interest in civil engineering listening to his grandfather on his mother’s side talk of his work in construction before the family immigrated to the United States from Venezuela.

“I wanted to continue that legacy of service and love for the country and what we stand for,” Anderson said.

Growing up, Anderson regularly attended air shows with his family. Every year they would pick one and travel to wherever it was. It was a visit to an airshow at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida, when he was 14 years old, that cemented the path he would take.

“There was a recruiter there who had a pull-up station, and I got on it and cranked a few out,” Anderson said. “After I did, I started talking with one of the recruiters and was telling him that I had always had an interest in joining the military and serving and feeling like I was doing something bigger than just earning money to buy material things.”

According to Anderson, the recruiter explained to him and his family how the Reserve Officer Training Corps worked, how it would enable him to get an education and put him on a career path serving as a commissioned officer.

“And that day, I knew that was what I was going to do,” Anderson said.

After graduating high school, Anderson was granted a full ROTC scholarship at the University of Florida where he earned his degree in civil engineering. His intent at the time was to join the active-duty Air Force. However, the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic had created delays in the assignment process due to restrictions on permanent change of station moves.

Eager to start his career, Anderson elected to accept a position at a civilian construction company and serve his country in the Air Force Reserve. Today, he is living out the “best of both worlds” as a civilian home builder and a leader in the 908th Flying Training Wing.

Only in his mid-20s, Anderson is not far removed from his 14-year-old self and others preparing to graduate high school and contemplating their future. He has some advice for them:

“Don’t let fear be a roadblock to experiencing all that life has to offer,” he said. “If you are able to move past that roadblock, and put yourself through struggles and difficulties, who you come out as on the other side is a better person than who you were before. Both as a leader and a friend.”

Anderson was named the 908th FTW Company Grade Officer of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2024 and is well on his way to a stellar career helping the wing integrate lethality and readiness to consistently deliver bold, agile, and dedicated Airmen supplying superior combat capabilities.