Air Force Capt. Anthony Lawrence made his mark in military history in 2020 by becoming the first Black officer to complete the Pilot Training Next (PTN) course. At the time, Military Families Magazine highlighted his journey from the little boy who used to watch the skies through his classroom window to a man who gets to be among the clouds, relishing every minute. Since then, he has continued his dream of piloting around the world and serving his country.
With his jet-setting through different countries, it wasn’t the easiest to pin Lawrence down. But we caught up with him to find out how his life and career have been since making history.
Lawrence recently returned from a deployment in the Horn of Africa near the Red Sea.
“I was deployed overseas for six months. This is number four for me now,” he said.
Since completing the program, he’s deployed to Qatar, Germany and other parts of Europe — one of his favorite places to visit.
Pilot program — and beyond
As part of the inaugural group to complete the PTN program using virtual reality, Lawrence sensed the concerns some had about the students’ skill level due to the program’s brevity and simulation process.
“There were concerns about whether corners were being cut,” he said, but the testing outcomes spoke louder than the doubt.
“I didn’t have any issues, I didn’t fail any tech rides. I think the success speaks for itself.”
And Lawrence’s colleagues also thrived, many of whom have transferred their skills to other programs.
“One of the best pilots I know went through the course with me. She’s now training to be an instructor.”
Making an impact
Many people initially learned about Lawrence’s accomplishments from a social media post his mom made that went viral. She chose to withdraw her son from traditional school to homeschool him, due to challenges in the classroom, and it paid off. She was proud to show that advocating for your children can help them create their own path to success, despite the labels the school system may place on them because they learn differently. His mom patiently leaned into Lawrence’s strengths as a child.
Along with completing 20 years of military service and transitioning to his next flying vehicle, Lawrence aims to continue impacting others. Completing the program meant more than a personal victory; he was also grateful to show kids who looked like him what they could accomplish if they worked hard.
There have been recent changes to what “representation” looks like in the military, and more specifically, the pilot program, which Lawrence was the face of after his completion. But his opportunities to mentor young airmen haven’t been muted.
“I’ve been able to organically talk to and interact with different airmen when they see me on base. Even people who’ve seen my journey on social media have reached out to ask me questions and get my thoughts on different things.”
His willingness to engage with anyone who wants to listen stems from his passion to help younger people in a similar position to the one he was in not long ago. And although his job is unique, with every day bringing its own set of challenges, being able to have a positive impact on the world outweighs it all.
Soon, Lawrence will begin his final assignment before retirement. His plans are to prepare for his next career phase (whether it be commercial or private aviation), be intentional about spending time with family, and settle down to start his own.
“I was focused on career progression first. But in the second half of my career, I’m being more intentional about dating and see what opportunities might be out there.”
Read more about Air Force Capt. Anthony Lawrence making history in our November 2020 issue.
