Former enlisted airman returns to England as KC-135 pilot

At RAF Mildenhall, the flight paths that once inspired an evening runner now pass beneath his cockpit windows. U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Ulysses Campos, a KC-135 pilot with the 351st Air Refueling Squadron, commissioned after 14 years in enlisted medical roles and returned to England in May 2025 for his first flying assignment.

Campos’ path to the flight line began long before he joined the military. As a youth soccer prospect, he crisscrossed the United States and trained in Brazil and El Salvador. “Overall, this experience set me up for my eventual enlistment into the military and the lifestyle of moving around while staying emotionally steady,” Campos said.

After feeling adrift during his first year of college in Los Angeles, Campos asked his uncle, retired Senior Master Sgt. Francisco Campos, for guidance about enlisting. Told to prove his commitment by getting to Colorado within two days, he made it to the Denver area near Buckley Air Force Base and entered the Air Force in 2008 at age 20 as a diagnostic imaging technologist.

Two years later, he was selected for medical sonography, a specialty that demanded technical skill and the confidence of the radiologists he supported. Over more than a decade in that field, his assignments included Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio—where he worked from 2010 to 2011 with now-Master Sgt. Nance F. Pea Jr.—and the 48th Medical Group at RAF Lakenheath, where he met his future wife, Gloria, in 2015. A 2016 move to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, brought conversations about long-term goals; flying emerged as the answer. Selection for the Rated Preparatory Program and time in the cockpit with the Civil Air Patrol cemented it. After his first flight, he called Gloria. “I want to be a pilot,” he told her.

Transitioning from enlisted Airman to officer took five years of coursework, testing and performance in his day job to build a competitive commissioning package. Because of his age, Campos needed a waiver that required six approvals, including endorsement from his major command, with any single nonconcurrence enough to halt the effort. “There was a lot of support from my leadership,” Campos said.

Commissioned after 14 years of enlisted service, he entered pilot training while juggling study, flight schedules and family life with a growing household. “Having my family present was crucial,” Campos said. “There were times when things felt hard, but coming home to my wife and kids alleviated so much pressure.”

Bringing extensive enlisted experience into the cockpit, Campos said it shaped how he views responsibility and teamwork across an aircrew. “I see the crew as a triangle built of three components: trust, competence and communication,” Campos said. He said strengthening those components allows the team to execute the mission more effectively.

Pea, now the 382nd Training Squadron’s diagnostic medical sonography course director, credited Campos with helping him move into sonography when Pea was a senior airman. “His rank may have changed, but I know that the type of leader he is won’t,” Pea said. “He’ll continue to develop, challenge and make everyone around him better.”

England has become a backdrop for many of Campos’ milestones. He met his wife there, both of his sons were born there, he pinned on staff sergeant and technical sergeant there, and he was selected for Officer Training School while stationed in the country. “England is a big and important part of my story,” Campos said. “To come back as a pilot is truly the full-circle moment.”

Nearing 18 years in uniform, Campos plans to serve three decades. “There is nothing to lose in dreaming big and everything to gain in the pursuit of those dreams,” Campos said. “It’s never too late. I made a huge career change after 14 years of service, and every bit of that effort has been worth it.”