April 27, 2024

By Rich Stratton
Assistant Director of Public Relations

Amid the sea of graduates preparing to receive degrees at Cedarville University stand four young men committed to defending freedom. Thaddeus Krueger, Matthew Crum, Brent Whitley, and John Thomson are on their way to becoming pilots in the United States Air Force.

While completing their coursework at Cedarville these brave young men tackled the additional responsibilities of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC), necessitating early morning activity while the rest of the campus was sleeping.

As a result of their hard work these men have been accepted into the highly competitive Air Force flight training program, putting them on a supersonic pathway to serving their country.

They are excited by the promise of adventure, speed, travel, and being at the controls of multimillion-dollar equipment, but they are moved to the sky by their desire to protect the freedoms afforded to those fortunate enough to call the United States home.

Motivated by their gratitude to God for the gifts of a free-market society, the right to worship Christ openly, the fair rule of law, and the still-possible American dream, these young men are prepared to give their all to ensure such blessings are available for generations to come.

More information concerning the inspiring journey ahead for these young patriots can be heard on the Cedarville Stories Podcast.

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,456 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation, and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about Cedarville University, visit www.cedarville.edu.