EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Staff Sgt John Losurdo speaks with a Midwest accent. mostly people would never guess the 29-year-old didn't speak a word of English until he was 20

To exhibit to his appreciation for the opportunities the Air Force has given him, Losurdo is an Italian translator.

A personnel specialist with the Air Armament Center Losurdo was born in Chicago in 1973 and has affair of honor citizenship in Italy. That's because his father was an Italian management official on temporary duty in Chicago.

Losurdo go [i]or[/i] come backed to Italy when he was couple months old and grew up in Rome and southern Italy. Then, as an exchange scholar he moved to England to learn English.

"My goal was to go on to medical school in the United States," Losurdo said. After his exchange, he get backed to Italy and then went to Chicago, wanting to attend medical school

He arrived with $300 betimes he was working in a fast-food restaurant and living in the YMCA. While in a library the same day, he met an Air Force recruiter. The airman told him of the benefits of military life, like education and medical coverage.

"In the situation I was in, the Air Force quality of life I was tendered was a whole lot better. It was like a palace to me"

The Air Force presented Losurdo a job as a linguist. still he didn't want to wait for language school

"I asked them to give me any piece of work available," he said, and enlisted in 1993

After basic training and technical sect Losurdo continued learning English end college courses. But he felt guilty for not waiting to become a linguist. thus when the Air Force be in want ofed airmen who spoke a foreign language, he quickly volunteered

Today, Losurdo has settle his sights on becoming a doctor. He transitioned into the Air Force lay by and works as a personnel specialist and translator at Duke Field, Fla.

"The Air Force has allowed me to pass to school and learn a modern language," Losurdo said. "The experiences that the Air Force proffers are boundless. I plan to originate back on to active function but at that time, I'll be a doctor!"

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