Brian Clancy, a shop teacher at Kaysville Junior High School, recently graduated as the top recruit from Air Force Basic Military Training in San Antonio, Texas. Clancy’s achievement is a powerful example to his students that it’s never too late to pursue their dreams.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the military,” Clancy said. “My dad is a veteran and he fought with the 82nd Airborne Division and was a paratrooper medic. He fought in the Grenada conflict and earned a bronze medal, so we took a lot of pride in that.”
Clancy has spent seven years teaching career-education classes, focusing on hands-on skills like 3D printing, electrical work, and woodworking. Despite his passion for teaching, Clancy’s journey to military service was filled with challenges, including being disqualified by the Marines and Navy because of a childhood diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder (PPD), which is on the autism spectrum.
“The first time I tried to join was actually after I graduated from BYU. I tried to join the Marines and I was turned down after an initial interview when I disclosed the disability,” Clancy recalled. “I knew I could hide it, but it was important to tell the truth.”
Clancy later worked with an Army National Guard recruiter, but a broken foot requiring surgery led to medical disqualification, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic made balancing teaching and recovery difficult.
“I mean, come on, it’s been three times by three different branches — a freak accident happened and I’m now medically disqualified, right," Clancy said.
With metal plates removed from his foot and after losing nearly 80 pounds, Clancy finally connected with the Utah Air National Guard. His recruiter asked an important question about documentation of his disability, which had previously been a barrier.
“I explained to the recruiter why I was disqualified from the other positions, and he asked me a question that changed the trajectory of everything. He said, ‘Do you have documentation of that disability?’” Clancy said. “I told him yes because I had old IEP paperwork from school that said I had the disability, but I didn’t have an actual diagnosis from a doctor.”
Clancy’s determination paid off. This spring, he graduated as the top recruit among more than 700 trainees. Centennial Alofipo, his recruiter, said she was “blown away” by his accomplishment and work ethic.
“Brian had already spent much of his career as an educator, shaping young minds, and despite being older than many recruits — at 33 years old, when most people assume physical performance declines after 30 — he outperformed younger airmen,” Alofipo said. “Brian’s unwavering curiosity and commitment to excellence set him apart throughout the process.”
Clancy plans to return home to his wife and two children in December after completing his aerospace ground equipment specialist training. He looks forward to sharing what he’s learned with his students.
“I’m excited to bring all this new knowledge that I have to my students,” he said. “Imagine if I could bring mechanical into that or hydraulics into that. These are amazing skills that will help them be able to contribute to society.”
