NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. –
When most people think of retirement, they think of sitting for hours on a warm, sunny day with sand between their toes and a cold beverage in hand. For one person, retirement will mean long days standing over a table, surrounded by multiple machines with intense lights overhead while performing surgeries.
Some would be satisfied to accomplish just one of their childhood dreams but that's not enough for Maj. James Lee who grew up with a passion for flying and medicine.
After 20 years as a combat systems officer and more than 3,000 flying hours in a variety of aircraft, Lee is retiring to pursue his second dream: medical school. In August, Lee will start back at the bottom of the ladder as a student of podiatry at Samuel Merritt University at Oakland, Calif.
Lee did not believe he would get the opportunity to live out both dreams but a deployment to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan in 2009, rekindled his passion for medicine.
When most service members hit the gym during their spare time, Lee spent every available moment helping take care of patients at Craig Joint Theater hospital. Even on days he was scheduled to fly, Lee would find time before or after a flight to spend a few hours at the hospital, helping in the intensive care unit and operating room.
Determined to be more than just a fly on the wall, Lee jumped right in retrieving lab results, blood products, operating certain equipment, and assisting the nurses in their duties. He became so proficient many of the medical staff was convinced he had a medical background. The staff was so impressed by his capabilities they encouraged Lee to become a surgeon.
According to Lee, the hardest part of his volunteer work was witnessing the injuries sustained by coalition troops and local children. On a daily basis Lee saw many coalition members who lost limbs.
"You have to learn to compartmentalize and detach to stay focused on the job," said Lee. "I had to keep in mind that we were there to help and to give a better quality of life. You can't get too emotional or let it impact you."
During the eight months Lee was deployed he spent more than 1,000 hours volunteering at the hospital and was involved with more than 200 surgical cases.
As soon as he got back, Lee started taking night classes to fulfill the prerequisites for medical school.
Three schools and a year and half later, Lee took the Medical College Admission Test after a only month of studying when the average medical student hopeful takes an entire year to study for the test.
"My scores were not stellar but I decided to apply to as many podiatry and medical schools as possible," said Lee.
While he looks forward to medical school, Lee said "he will always look up to the sky when he hears loud motors overhead. I will miss the CSO community, flying and instructing immensely."
Lee, who was also the first Weapon Systems Officer to go through the Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals Instructor course at the 49th Fighter Training Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., is confident his military skills of time management, experiences, leadership skills and teamwork will come in handy.
"When you are a doctor you are a part of a team, all working together for the welfare of the patient. I am moving from my military team to a medical team and I'm excited to start on my second chapter of my life."