Josue Bitar, an electronics engineer with Range Operations at White Sands Missile Range, took the oath of enlistment during a ceremony in the lobby at the Cox Range Control Center June 4.
White Sands Test Center Commander Col. Matthew Johnson administered the oath of enlistment to Bitar, who is joining the Air Force Reserves and will be commissioned as an officer once he completes officer candidate school. He is joining as an enlisted service member.
Bitar, who has been working at WSMR for the last three years, said he was inspired to join the Air Force Reserves after working with military personnel on the range.
“Just seeing the mission that we work towards every day has been an inspiration to me, so I decided to take that next step,” Bitar said. “I wanted to serve our country in a more dedicated capacity.”
He will be serving in the civil engineering squadron for the Air Force.
“I’ve always had an interest in serving in the military, so after joining as a civilian I still had the desire to take it a step further and commit to serving this country that has given me so much.”
Bitar graduated from the University of Texas El Paso, where he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Johnson, who met Bitar for the first time at the ceremony, told him he was honored that he asked him to administer the oath.
“The commitment that you are making means a lot,” Johnson said. “This is something that is vitally important to our nation, someone who takes the opportunity to raise their right hand and say I will support and defend the constitution of the United States.”
Bitar’s wife, son, mother, brother and several co-workers and friends attended the ceremony and congratulated him afterwards.
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