Future Force
Cadet, Russian and German language student Brooke Newell is preparing to lead the Airmen of tomorrow
After weeks of grueling field training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, 糖心vlog student Brooke Newell was finally graduating. Standing in formation with over 300 other Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets in the fierce heat of a Southern summer, she reflected on how much had changed since she first signed on at FSU.
鈥淕raduating from field training was the most memorable experience of ROTC so far. It was an awakening,鈥 Newell said. 鈥淭he experience expanded my horizons, and I realized how many opportunities I鈥檇 missed out on before simply because I wasn鈥檛 putting my name in for them.鈥
Her graduation from field training behind her, Newell is still working toward her FSU degree 鈥 she鈥檚 a rising senior double-majoring in Russian and German through the with minors in aerospace studies, also known as , and law enforcement intelligence 鈥 in preparation to commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force.
Languages come easy to Newell, something she first discovered while learning German in high school. ROTC, however, was not always part of the plan: Newell originally aspired to a career in international business like her father, but the topics didn鈥檛 quite align with her interests. After realizing she thrives in highly structured environments, Newell spoke to veterans within her family about what a career as a military officer might entail.
Encouraged, she applied for ROTC scholarships and earned a scholarship from the Air Force that fully covered her tuition to study Russian language at the university of her choice.
鈥淵ou only get one life on this Earth, and for me, making the most of my time means learning as much as possible,鈥 Newell said.
Studying Russian has provided a foundation for examining common elements of other languages that aren鈥檛 immediately considered interrelated but that military officers may encounter within a single theater of operation, particularly when serving as part of an international coalition.
鈥淭he grammatical bases between Russian and German are similar, and some of the vocabulary between Russian and French is similar. It鈥檚 fascinating to see how so many languages connect to each other,鈥 Newell said.
Olga Seliazniova, the Dean鈥檚 Postdoctoral Scholar in Slavic, has taught Newell in two different Russian courses. In the most recent, Newell was the only undergraduate in the conversation-oriented class.
鈥淪he鈥檚 the gold standard of a student,鈥 Seliazniova said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 easy to work with, diligent and hardworking; she puts herself in charge of her education.鈥
Newell is near the top of her class, and she cites self-imposed discipline and routine as the driving forces for her academic excellence, traits that complement her military service. She鈥檚 also a natural leader and has taken on progressively more complex roles during her time in ROTC.
During her sophomore year, Newell served as a general military course adviser deputy and was responsible for the squadron鈥檚 general wellbeing and morale. In Fall 2022, she was selected as wing executive officer, a role that provides immediate, chief-of-staff-like support to the wing commander, who is the highest-ranking cadet in FSU's Air Force ROTC Detachment 145.
This summer, she鈥檒l be back at Maxwell AFB, this time serving as field training cadet training assistant and using her leadership skills to help train more than 1,000 future Air Force officers.
鈥淎s a CTA, she will shape and mold tomorrow鈥檚 leaders to uphold the high standards that we have set to be an officer,鈥 said Air Force Capt. Derrick Drennan, FSU's Air Force ROTC education officer. 鈥淐adet Newell is an excellent student in and outside the classroom, and she strives to develop all the people around her and be a leader who sets the example.鈥
It鈥檚 Newell鈥檚 ability to seamlessly blend her disciplines that truly makes her stand out.
鈥淲hether someone is deployed or working in intelligence, the Air Force always needs people who can speak multiple languages,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 cool to bring my Russian studies into ROTC and vice versa, and to apply the knowledge and experiences I have to each area of study.鈥
Newell looks forward to pinning on her second lieutenant鈥檚 bars in May 2024, and she hopes to have a long Air Force career using her language skills as a foreign area officer.
鈥淚 want to be part of something that鈥檚 bigger than me,鈥 Newell said. 鈥淚 want to help people, and it doesn鈥檛 really matter to me if they don鈥檛 even know I鈥檓 helping them. For me, that鈥檚 kind of the point. It鈥檚 not about the recognition 鈥 it鈥檚 about helping people.鈥