Kosraean Spencer Asher to graduate as US Army Aviator
Micronesian Monday Feature
This week’s Micronesian Monday Feature is about Spencer Steve Asher, the father of two from Kosrae who has been working on becoming a prestigious pilot in the Army.
Spencer Steve Asher has always been amazed at flying.
“But I never thought it was an actual possibility for myself,” he said. The 26-year-old is married to Yumi Lelean aka Clynn (pronounced Selene) and is the father of a son and daughter.
Asher was born in Kosrae and raised in Hawai’i. For now, he is living in Fort Rucker, Alabama enrolled in the U.S. Army Flight School so that he can become a pilot.
“My parents are Steve and Kenye Asher, brothers are Linus, Kevin, and Nena we call Sasuke, and my sister is DiaMarie,” Asher said, adding that his father also joined the army.
Recently, Asher earned a certificate of flight achievement and it’s one more accomplishment on his journey to becoming a U.S. Army Aviator.
Asher said his aviation journey started when he enlisted as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter mechanic. It was there that he learned he could become a warrant officer and pilot the helicopters, not just work on them.
“The moment I found out that there was a possibility, I didn’t waste a second to get the process started. I completed the application packet within six months, and I submitted it,” he said.
His application packet was reviewed by senior personnel who were looking to ensure that Spencer met all the requirements.
But Spencer wasn’t chosen.
“My first submission, I received a ‘Qualified Non Select,’ which meant that I met all the qualifications and just did not get selected,” he said.
It wasn’t the outcome he’d hoped for but that didn’t stop him.
Undeterred, Spencer submitted another packet and added some of his achievements. Then, in September 2019, with a little more than three years of Army service under his belt, Spencer got word that he was qualified and selected.
“(I) made the list to not only attend Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS), but I also made the Sergeant (E-5) for promotion as well,” he said. “My family, including my wife, parents, aunties, uncles, and siblings were all very proud of me as I would be proud of any accomplishment with each one of them. They knew I worked hard for this, I spoke about this dream many times and it finally became a reality.”
Spencer worked hard to complete warrant officer candidate school and then went on to flight school, he said.
In November 2020, he started flying helicopters. He earned his certificate to fly Black Hawks in September 2021. And now in a few days, he hopes to make another dream a reality.
“On November 4, 2021, I will be graduating as an official United States Army Aviator,” he said. ◉
Thank you to Spencer for his time and for sharing his achievements! Follow his journey on Instagram @spencerasher_.
Best of luck to Spencer! I wish him and his family well.
He credited his support system and I see that same gratitude expressed in his past posts online. I feel like we all know someone in our families who enlisted in the U.S. military. The situation between citizens from the freely associated states and the United States military can be complicated, but that’s the world we live in. When Spencer shared his flight achievement certificate on Facebook and Instagram, it really took off. A lot of people were happy for him. Complicated situation aside, Micronesians worldwide found Spencer’s post and shared it as a source of pride.
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