At 42 years old, Quan Nguyen did what many thought impossible. He graduated from U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training, officially becoming an Airman First Class (A1C) with his degree.

Basic training is intense for 20 year olds, let alone someone in their 40s. With kids half his age running alongside him, Quan pushed harder than ever.

“It was an experience I will never forget,” Quan says. “But I couldn’t believe I was there, doing it. At 42, double the age of most of the kids there, they called me ‘grandpa.’ It did get uncomfortable at first, but after finding out that I was able to hand my own and walk the walk, they knew I was there to be able to serve just like them.”

Quan learned quickly to adapt. By his third week, he could take apart, clean, and reassemble his weapon within minute. He drilled relentlessly and despite some bumps in the road and some tough moments, he memorized procedures, learned to give and take orders, and pushed through long days of standing at attention for hours in the Texas heat, which reached over 104 degrees at times.

Quan stands with his wife Tiffany after graduating from U.S. Air Force Basic Training.)

“The Air Force BMT broke me and built me back up,” he says. “I made sure to learn everything and learned respect. By the second or third day the smiles were wiped off our faces. These military training instructors are there to build warriors and that is exactly what they do. When they did see our mouth open, they would respond with “HIDE YOUR TEETH.”

Meals were fast and silent, with strict hydration schedules. There was only 10 minutes to eat during chow. Even writing home was a challenge, most recruits had one day to send letters to family and friends during their time there. Quan squeezed in correspondence late at night, sometimes in the bathroom, writing a fewest times a week to his family back home. Showers were scarce as there was only 8 showers for over 50 trainees with limited time to shower.

Through it all, faith and reflection guided him.

“When things got tough, I leaned toward God and asked, ‘Why do I put my wife and kids in this situation?’” Quan says. “I realized how much I had taken advantage of my wife being there for me and then not having that for weeks was a perspective that changed me.”

Born to Vietnamese immigrants who came to America by boat, Quan’s path was far from easy. After his parents divorced, his mother struggled to raise two sons. At one point, she even attempted to sell him and his brother for $40,000, a deal that ultimately fell through.

To help provide, Quan mowed lawns, pulled weeds and washed cars. At 15, he got his first HVAC job after a friend’s father told him he could stay the night only if he worked the next morning. That decision launched a career in air conditioning and later, business ownership.

At Eustis High School, Quan endured bullying but rose to leadership as student council president. He was a very likable kind of guy.  His academic and extracurricular success earned him full-ride scholarships to Lake-Sumter Community College, now Lake-Sumter State College, which is a part University of Central Florida. He graduated with a two year associates degree in business marketing and finance while continuing HVAC work.

(Quan has an emotional reunion with his wife and children after graduating basic training.)

But despite building a successful life, Quan couldn’t shake his desire to serve. With the enlistment age cutoff closing in, he pushed himself into top physical condition and chased the dream he’d carried for many years.

“I knew the more I was trained physically, it meant I could concentrate on the curriculum at hand more,” he says. “It would be one less thing that I have to do while I was there.”

When he finally saw his family after graduation, Quan broke down.

“All I could do was cry,” he says. “It was a beautiful moment.”

Now preparing for technical school and headed to a base in Miami as part of the Air Force Reserve, Quan carries with him not just military discipline but the lessons of faith, family, and resilience.

“Resilience is a key word that’s something that stuck with me through this experience,” he says. “How to be resilient through it all. I’m truly blessed to be headed to tech school. The support and motivational messages people sent while I was away, I needed that. I hope my story inspires others. It’s never too late to follow your dream.  Some people say “day one,” others that don’t believe in themselves, say ‘one day.”