Addiction

Tom (TJ) Navickis, United States Air Force

Stolen from me is you,

willingly to the needle of blue.

Returned to me is she,

clutching a needle I see.

Silently I have wept,

into the blue she slept.

In my heart is her,

This I know for sure.

My name is Thomas Navickis, I go by TJ mostly. I was born and raised in Glastonbury, CT. I am a New England kid at heart. At eighteen I enlisted into the Air Force on active duty. As a Fuels and Cryogenics troop, I have handled hazardous material throughout my career and have worked with every aircraft not only in the Air Force and sister branches, but with foreign nations as well, to include The Royal Marines/Air Force, French, Canadian, Japanese, Australian, Afghani, and many more. I have stayed stateside, in Texas, Mississippi, Arizona, Las Vegas, Georgia, Florida, and now North Carolina.

One of the greatest experiences I have had so far in my career was a six-month rotation I spent as a member of the Honor Guard in south Georgia. It is bitter-sweet to have given the final honors to veterans who have passed away. I spent just over four years on active duty with the Air Force and transitioned into the reserves so that I could pursue my educational goals for self-development. I am attending Cape Fear Community College, transferring to UNCW, with hopes of attending a School of Dental Medicine. Completing dental school will allow me to commission back into the Air Force, into the Dental Corps, and continue my career on active duty. Overall, I have been satisfied with what I have accomplished and look forward to the opportunities in my future.