Local Businessman Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Top of Class

OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Oklahoma City resident, Nathaniel Harding, has received his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, having graduated first in his flight in academics and as instructor-ranked for non-prior service.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100202/DA46728)

Lieutenant Harding is among fewer than 100 people – and the only Oklahoman – without prior military experience to graduate this year from the Academy of Military Science (AMS) at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, AL.

"This training prepares us for the awesome responsibility of being an officer in today's military," said Lt. Harding.  "I believe there's no better military leadership training in the world, and few experiences more challenging.  It's amazing what people can accomplish when failing is not an option."  

Lt. Harding's unit – the 231st Civil Engineering Flight – is at Lambert Air National Guard base in St. Louis, MO.  In addition to his traditional guard duty, Lt. Harding will join members of his unit for a six-month tour to construct bases in Afghanistan.

Nathaniel Harding and his wife Amanda live in Mesta Park.  Lt. Harding will resume his civilian job as petroleum engineer at his family's oil and gas company, Harding & Shelton, Inc in downtown Oklahoma City.  

Lt. Harding was recommended for the program by Congresswoman Mary Fallin and Major General Jerry Holmes (Ret.).  Of leadership, Gen. Holmes stated: "We will be remembered not for the clothes we wore, the car we drove, or the house we lived in, but rather for what we did, and not what we did for ourselves, but what we did for others."

AMS consists of more than 100 hours of academic curriculum, eight graded assignments, two drill performance reviews, three field leadership exercises, and mock deployment, in addition to traditional military order and discipline training.  Students become commissioned in only six weeks.  

AMS-OTS integration officer, Lt. Col. Brad McRee said the primary reason for AMS being a six-week course instead of the traditional OTS 12-week course is that 85 percent of Air National Guard members have had prior military service.

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SOURCE Harding & Shelton, Inc.