It’s just a ‘screen’ shot away!

While many area seniors wait for word on what their graduation will look like, several local families attended a different graduation ceremony, virtually. On March 26, Owego Free Academy graduates Brent Buchmann and Matt McDougal completed Basic Training for the United States Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. And although a major life event for the two, their families had to cancel plans to attend the ceremony and instead were able to tune into a live ceremony held on the same date.

“Of course I wanted to be there,” said McDougal’s mom, Jenn Welch, owner of Tom Ash Agency in Owego, adding, “But I’m blessed we had that.”

Her son was also disappointed. According to Welch, as an Element Leader, McDougal would have carried the flag during the airman’s run. He was also an honor grad. 

Buchmann’s mom, Liz Woodard, who has served as the middle and high school secretary in Owego for over 20 years, described the cancelation of the ceremony as difficult. Buchmann, too, was an honor grad. 

“It’s been rough working from home, and I’m still not over it that I couldn’t see him graduate,” Woodard said of her son’s ceremony, adding, “We kept hoping things would change.”

In fact, Woodard had all of the travel plans set, and then cancelled things about two weeks before her son’s graduation date in March. She waited until three days prior to the ceremony, however, to cancel the flight; a sign that she was still holding on to hope that the ceremony would move forward as previously scheduled.

But it didn’t, and Woodard, as well as Welch, were able to watch the graduation instead, via a live stream. Woodard added that the approximate 700 graduates from the base camp were recognized during a two-hour ceremony that was broken down further into four short ceremonies – by training squad, and by flight.

The ceremony was aired Live on Facebook.

And although many miles separated these two moms’ and their graduates, they were really just a screenshot away.

“We saw them close up,” said Woodard, adding, “They all marched directly in front of the camera for the exit.”

Welch had similar plans to attend, but then, she explained, they shut down the base. At first she was concerned there was a coronavirus outbreak at the base, but soon learned that a portion of the base was being utilized to quarantine passengers arriving back in the states from cruise ships. One of her many concerns she has for her only son.

Soon, Welch explained, her son will be training to become a SERE Specialist, or Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape. For Welch, that occupation, although rigorous training is required, is the Air Force’s version of Special Forces. He begins his training on May 18.

If McDougal advances through the grueling selection process, he will advance for further training that will involve water, desert, and even jungle training.

A 2016 graduate of Brockport with a Bachelor’s in Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology, the SERE program will be a perfect fit for McDougal, once he successfully fulfills the training program, which spans over a period of one year.

“That’s what a SERE Specialist does, they train pilots how to get out of situations,” Welch added.

Brent Buchmann is a 2019 graduate of Owego Free Academy; McDougal graduated in 2012. McDougal will be moving on to further training and to selection for SERE; Buchmann will be attending tech school.

How they met, however, is the real story.

McDougal was at his recruiter’s office and Buchmann’s photo, as a new recruit, was on the wall. After the meeting with the recruiter, McDougal went to get gas, and the young man at the pump next to him looked like Buchmann, from the photo he saw.

A conversation ensued, and as soon as they learned they would be attending training together, the two were on a quest to be as prepared as possible.

McDougal was working for Peak Performance in Owego, and Buchmann had just graduated, so the two spent their spare time throughout the summer preparing to become as physically fit as possible before the deployment in January of this year to Texas.

“They would go to the Adirondacks and hike with weighted sacks,” said Welch, adding, “They were even using the track over at Owego Free Academy.”

And now that the ceremonies are over, Airman Basic Brent Buchmann and Airman First Class Matt McDougal will go their own separate ways, but have gained a friendship for life.

And being one of last year’s graduates of Owego Free Academy, Brent Buchmann also received congratulations from one of his former teachers, Christina Bangel.

In a letter, she told him that his mom has kept everyone updated, and that when she announced she couldn’t travel to see her son graduate due to the pandemic, she began passing along messages sent from classmates, and even strangers. She also noted how proud everyone is as Buchmann begins his new journey. 

In his response, in part, Buchmann wrote, “I would like to send a sincere message of appreciation and gratitude to everyone who wrote a message in the letter started by Mrs. Bangel. Not being able to see our families for graduation was hard to accept for many of my wingmen and I throughout the final weeks of training, so the fact that so many of you were willing to take the time out of your day to send me messages of sympathy, gratitude, encouragement, and just all around positivity means the world to me.” 

And he ended his letter with a familiar sentiment, “So thank you all, stay awesome, stay motivated, and God bless America.”