Recent Bowling Green State University aviation graduate Nicholas Kowalski acknowledges being competitive and driven to be the best of the best — and it doesn’t get much better than earning the title of “combat pilot.”

Now he’ll have an opportunity to join their ranks.

Mr. Kowalski, now a second lieutenant in the Air Force, is one of 28 former ROTC cadets nationwide selected to train at the world’s only multi-nationally operated NATO combat pilot training program.

As such, he’ll join trainees and instructors from 14 countries to train for 55 weeks at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas with the hope of then serving as a combat aviator.

“I learned that I was selected just before Christmas, and it was a pretty awesome feeling when I found out because I knew how competitive the [Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program] was,” he said, adding the program accepted half the candidates this year compared to previous years.

“And I knew that this meant it is a guarantee that I would get one of those slots to fly fighter jets,” he added, “whereas with other pilot training programs, it’s not a guarantee.”

Lieutenant Kowalski said when he initially considered enrolling at BGSU, he didn’t initially plan to join the Air Force or seek to become a combat pilot. But in retrospect, he said it shouldn’t have been a surprise.

Living in Beavercreek, Ohio, near Dayton — the birthplace of aviation — Lieutenant Kowalski recalls being influenced by his grandfather, Colin Kowalski. He was a lieutenant colonel for the Air Force and a pilot who flew a B-52 aircraft during the Vietnam War — coincidentally, the same type of plane that Lieutenant Kowalski will be training to fly.

Lieutenant Kowalski’s mother, Brenda, was also an Air Force captain and served as a nurse.

Before beginning his freshman year in 2019, he was convinced to join BGSU’s Air Force ROTC and become an officer upon graduation.

“I've just always been fascinated by that stuff because of growing up where I did and my grandfather's influence and even my mother's influence,” Lieutenant Kowalski said. “So when I decided that I wanted to make that happen, I think it made sense to everybody.”

Lt. Col. Amy Grant, Air Force ROTC detachment commander at BGSU, said Lieutenant Kowalski certainly stood out, even among the top-notch cadets. All of his physical fitness scores were among the highest of the cadets, and he was driven with all tasks that were assigned to him, including when he became a squad commander last fall.

“He is not afraid to make mistakes, he goes after his goals, he knows he's not perfect, and he strives to just be better,” she said.

“With the squadron commander position, everyone knows it's the hardest position in the detachment," she said. "But he was always willing to take on the positions that were going to help him get to the next level that will help him to become a better leader.”

Taking on those responsibilities, in addition to his coursework for his aviation studies degree specializing in flight technology and operations, is no small feat, said Catherine Smith, a professor and chief instructor for BGSU’s aviation program.

Having flown with Lieutenant Kowalski and gotten to know him during his time at BGSU, she said it doesn't surprise her that he would be included among the top 1 percent of Air Force cadets in ROTC to be accepted in the NATO combat pilot training program.

“I think one of the most rewarding parts of what we do here is watching our students succeed, not only while they're here receiving their flight training and certification, but when our students graduate and they head out into industry,” she said. “[Lieutenant Kowalski’s] case is quite a unique opportunity — he put the work in, but it was definitely our honor to be a part of his journey.

“We're pretty proud of our graduates and [Lieutenant Kowalski] is certainly an amazing example of what a person can do when they put their mind to it,” she added. “I couldn't be more proud of him.”

But Lieutenant Kowalski won’t be jumping into the combat pilot’s seat just yet. Currently, he’s working as an ROTC Gold Bar Recruiter at Hill Air Force Base, in Utah, and will have to wait another year and a half before he begins training. Although he’d love to start training sooner, he said it’ll be worth the wait.

He said his main advice is to ignore the naysayers for potential recruits who want to follow in his footsteps.

“If you were to ask other people, I think that they might tell you I put a little too much time into school and ROTC and aviation, but I don't think I would be in this program if I didn't,” he said. “Just try to do your own research and be confident in your own ability to assess what you need to do.

“Don't let somebody tell you to ease up on the throttle because they likely don't know what they're talking about,” he added.

First Published July 23, 2023, 1:30 p.m.