Kray Jubeck’s parents encouraged him to live a service-oriented life almost every day of his childhood. Now a junior in the BYU Air Force ROTC program, Jubeck serves as a leader to his peers and exemplar of service, inspired by the program and his father’s example.
Jubeck’s father, a member of the United States Air Force, was Jubeck’s first introduction to the military, and Jubeck was influenced to follow a similar career path after seeing the opportunities the Air Force gave his father. “My father felt that he worked toward something that benefited mankind and was worthwhile,” says Jubeck. “That's something that I want to do. When I’m his age, I want to be able to look back and say, ‘I spent time helping and serving other people.’ So, I said to myself, ‘You know what, the Air Force is the best way to go for me.’”
Since joining the BYU Air Force ROTC, Jubeck, a Gulf Breeze, Florida native, has been able to serve and lead his cadet peers. From April 2019 to April 2020, he served as Arnold Air Society (AAS) Region 8 Vice Commander, responsible for leading ten AAS squadrons. During the Fall 2019 semester, Jubeck served as the Det 855 General Military Course (GMC) Wing Adjutant, responsible for training courses offered to freshmen and sophomore cadets, and currently serves as the Squadron Commander for the Field Training Preparation Squadron. He has also served as a special warfare team lead for the special warfare team at BYU.
“Whenever I have an opportunity to teach, lead, or help someone else, I feel the most beneficial,” says Jubeck. As a team leader, vice commander, and wing adjutant, Jubeck has assumed responsibilities of leadership and took initiative to organize logistics on a daily basis.
All the leadership opportunities he’s had through the Air Force ROTC program have helped Jubeck develop into the leader and person that he is today, he says. To him, those opportunities have also been some of the most enjoyable aspects of ROTC. “I’ve been able to prove myself in different positions as well as learn and improve my capabilities as a leader,” says Jubeck.
Along with learning to be a leader, Jubeck has strengthened other skills by learning about languages and cultures in the Middle East and Asia. Jubeck studied abroad in India during his freshman year and learned Urdu, an Indo-Aryan language native to India and Pakistan. He now studies Middle Eastern languages and is pursuing his undergrad in political science and a minor in Asian studies.
Through opportunities at BYU its Air Force ROTC program such as studying abroad to India and serving in leadership positions, Jubeck feels that he is able to truly embrace the lifestyle of service within the Air Force. Not only does the program provide him with valuable skills but also lifelong lessons. “The ROTC mindset affects who I am, how I act, the decisions I make, and how I choose to spend my time,” says Jubeck.
After graduating in spring 2022, Jubeck plans to enter the Air Force’s pilot training program for two years before entering full-time. He intends to fly aircrafts for the Air Force and, later on in his career, move toward service in international relations, specifically in the Middle East. Even after he leaves BYU and the ROTC program, Jubeck wants to continue in the life of service and take valuable experiences from the BYU Air Force ROTC with him into his future military career.
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Writer: Emily Atwood
