Douglasville Patch has been following Chapel Hill High School graduate and Douglasville hometown girl Becky Jones since before her first day at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Here is a photo gallery she shared with Douglasville Patch after surviving her 'amazing' first year. Douglasville Patch's coverage of Becky at the Air Force Academy: Hometown Girl Describes Her 'Amazing' First Year at Air Force Academy She's Getting Dirty to Serve Her Country You're in the Air Force Now Enroute to Air Force Academy, Meeting Her Destiny Becky Jones Accepted to Air Force Academy

Douglasville Patch has been following Chapel Hill High School graduate and Douglasville hometown girl Becky Jones since before her first day at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Today she shares her own thoughts after her first year. Visit Douglasville Patch Thursday for her 'amazing' photo gallery. Here's her experience, so far, in her own words: "This year was amazing. I got to go to Israel, learn Chinese, parachute, and starve in the woods. I would do it over and over again. Even though it can get stressful at times, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The friends I have made here are amazing. …

Editor's note: Patch is following Chapel Hill graduate and Douglasville hometown girl Becky Jones with regular updates (thanks to her mother, Shelly) through her adventures of in-processing, basic training, and service to her country at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Basic training is over, and was celebrated on Aug. 3 at Acceptance Day, where the "basics" were taken/accepted into the Cadet Wing. It was a sight to see as the basics marched in an inverted V formation across the field to their classmates. As you know, at graduation, they march out of the Cadet Wing in a V formation.   Parents were…

She went up the stairs to her future, where she took the oath and had to prove that she could secure her hair in two minutes, if not it would have been cut. She boarded the bus and was in the hands of the cadres. She spend the rest of the day getting all her gear, and her room.   Her first letter home, dated June 30, had her wondering what "life would be like at a civilian college." At this point she had been getting up at 4:30 a.m. for a week, and was exhausted. She said that no matter what they were putting her through, she knew in her heart that the United States Air Force Academy was the …

Rebecca "Becky" Jones boarded a Delta Airlines jet at 11 a.m. today and is currently flying across the country on her way to meet her destiny. She's not just headed to college like so many other young people will be doing shortly; she's headed to the United States Air Force Academy to serve her country during a time of war. "I'm excited and proud of her," her mother Shelly Jones said, clearly holding back the tears as she sat next to Becky at the airport today. This will be the longest period of time in their lives that they've been apart. "I'm going to miss her. "But she's worked really hard…

1. Grizzly stole the show when I visited the shelter today.  He is a BIG boy, but he is all heart.  The mastiff mix is an adult male who is neutered and looking for a forever home.  2. Donna is a sweet multi-colored cat who is about a year old.  She loves to have her head scratched and was recently spayed.   She’d make a great companion.  3.  Dollar caught my eye because he is such a cutie, but he’s just as sweet as he is cute.  Sadly, Dollar was turned in by his owner last week and the little spaniel mix watches everyone who passes, hoping they’ll pick him.  He is also a great size – not too…

Blazer is a remarkably sweet blonde lab mix who is about five or six years old.  He was found with a microchip dating back to 2005, but his family no longer wanted him.  He is great with kids and other dogs (as you can see in the gallery, he was very patient with the puppy he shares his cage with who is also available for adoption).  Blazer just needs a loving home where he can spend the second half of his life.  He is neutered.  This Shepherd Mix didn’t have a name, but that didn’t stop him from wanting a little attention.  This big guy is absolutely gorgeous and very playful.  He was …

This guy didn’t have a name but when he saw me taking pictures of the other cats, he immediately came to get in on the action, so I promised him and myself I’d add him to the list.  He’s a big guy, but a total sweetheart who desperately wanted me to scratch his back.  He is a black and white adult male.  Lavender gives the word “crazy” a whole new meaning.  If you’re looking for a boring cat that’s going to sleep all day, Lavender is probably not your girl.   She stood up on her hind legs every time I went near her cage, but when I scratched her head, she was as sweet as she can be.  There …

Pixie is a 2-year-old Lab mix, and she is just as sweet as she can be. She and her cage mate (a black-and-white female Jack Russell mix who is about 8 months old and also available for adoption) were so happy to have a visitor that they jumped and played together for a long time. They are both great with people and other dogs. Missy is a gray-and-white female cat with a lot of personality. She is about 3 years old, and she has been spayed.  Once you meet Rowdy, you’ll never forget her. She’s gorgeous, and she knows it and just hams it up for anyone who comes near (I promise she tried to pose …

This female Shepherd mix is tan and black and about 12 weeks old.  She is shy but such a sweetheart who just needs a little bit of love and attention.  This brindle Lab/Shepherd mix is between 12 and 16 weeks old, and is absolutely adorable.  He’s all legs, and will probably end up being a pretty big boy, but that just means more to love.    This Lab mix is about 10 to 12 weeks old, loves people, and can’t wait to find a home of its own.  Skip is a white and tan Jack Russell Terrier mix, and he is just a little bundle of energy.  He’s about a year old, and he is neutered.  Now, all he needs …

You haven’t experienced fun until you’ve gone into a cage with the three black lab puppies.  All girls, these three are incredibly sweet and playful.  The puppies are about three months old or older, and all it takes is a few minutes with them to fall in love.    Buster is as gorgeous as he is sweet.  It was so hard to have to send him back to his cage after taking his picture because he really enjoyed being around people and getting his head scratched.  He is a Treeing Walker Coonhound and is about a year old. Diamond is pretty little grey and white tabby cat.  He is an adult male, and while…

Bear is a big sweet guy, and he is very playful and has a lot of personality.  The minute he came out of his cage, he wanted to run and jump, but he stopped long enough to ham it up for the camera.  Bear is a Saint Bernard/Spaniel mix and is thought to be between two and four years old.  Whoever said cats are curious must have had Calvin in mind.  The minute his cage door opened he was craning his neck to see what all of his neighbors were doing.  Calvin is a gorgeous adult male who is already neutered.        Lucky is a collie mix, and one of the sweetest dogs you’ll ever meet.  He wasn’t …

Rebecca "Becky" Jones: Age 18 School: Chapel Hill High School Accomplishment: Earned a scholarship to the U.S. Air Force Academy Key to Awesomeness: Rebecca “Becky” Jones, a senior at Chapel Hill High School, has been accepted into the Air Force Academy with a scholarship valued at $400,000. She found out about the opportunity at a Douglas County Boys and Girls Club College and Career Fair. Becky received the news that she was accepted into the academy this past December. She is headed for Basic Cadet Training in late June. She hopes to study International Relations at the Air Force Academy, …