Osan Mustang of the Week: Senior Airman Robert Staszewski

(Senior Airman Robert Staszewski, U.S. Air Force)

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Robert Staszewski, 51st Fighter Wing Staff Judge Advocate Paralegal, was named 51st Fighter Wing Mustang of the Week at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Jan. 13, 2024.

As a military justice administrative actions paralegal, Staszewski works on non-judicial punishment matters including letters of reprimand, letters of counseling, and Article 15s. Navigating the world of military justice, working with military attorneys and leaders is a far cry from the work he did prior to joining the military.

Staszewski is not the typical senior Airman. In 2020, he enlisted in the Air Force at 35 years-old, making him one of a growing number of Airmen choosing to enlist in the Air Force later in life. A huge factor differentiating him from his peers is the wealth of knowledge and life experience he brings to the table from day one.

“I got my degree in cultural anthropology, I was a teacher, a football coach and right before joining I worked in the film industry as a set painter,” he said.

As a set painter Staszewski knew what was in store for him. Twelve-hour shifts, six days a week, working in an environment that, for all its excitement and unique opportunities, was no longer meeting his needs and would not give him the lifestyle he pictured for his future. This realization and a little push from his cousin who is in the Army helped him forge a new path—into the military.

“I joined the military for the challenge,” he said. “I considered joining the military twice before, but my plans changed and eventually everything lined up for me to go. So, I wanted to see if I could make it through.”

He did.

Raised in a household with strong values of discipline and maintaining a strong work ethic, he sailed through Basic Military Training. His teaching and coaching experience came in handy immediately when he was chosen to be his flight’s dorm chief and acted as a mentor, guiding his teammates through each day. He then headed to Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama for technical school to become a paralegal. His time in tech school, he admits, was not as easy for him as BMT.

“By the time I got to tech school, I hadn’t been to school in ten years,” he said. “It was a little tougher for me; I definitely had to do some extra studying for sure.”

The extra studying paid off and in April 2021 he had passed all his tech school requirements. His reward—orders to Aviano AB, Italy.

After three years on the Italian peninsula, the Air Force sent Staszewski on the other side of the world to another peninsula, South Korea. Today, Staszewski is eight months into his tour here at Osan AB and four years into his six-year enlistment with plenty of options to consider.

“I’m considering cross-training and I’ve even looked into commissioning,” he said. “I’m in a good spot right now and my focus is to just get the job done and set myself up for the future. The Air Force has been good to me and to stay in and do twenty [years] … I would be happy with that.”