lance belobrajdic named tillman scholarmeteorology and oceanography student is one of only three aggies given honor in 2018jul 11 2018photos courtesy of lance belobrajdicphotos courtesy of lance belobrajdicthe pat tillman foundation has named texas a&m university college of geosciences student lance belobrajdic 20 to the 10th class of tillman scholars in recognition of his service leadership and potential belobrajdic is currently an undergraduate student in the department of atmospheric sciences as well as a graduate student in the department of oceanography through the master of ocean science and technology 5-year accelerated graduate degree program the 2018 class of tillman scholars is a diverse innovative group of leaders dedicated to making an impact in their chosen fields from nursing practice and water conservation to business administration public policy and beyond tillman foundation board chair and co-founder marie tillman said this years class of scholars will receive more than $13 million in scholarships for their academic pursuits air force experience informed belobrajdics academic choices belobrajdic enlisted in the air force in 2006 and after three deployments during operation iraqi freedom he served in a new capacity with air force special operations as a special operations weather team (sowt) technician during his training he was immersed into combat operations and atmospheric and environmental sciences he said he gained the skills necessary to install ground weather instruments for medical evacuation sites in afghanistan conduct avalanche zone assessments for public highways in turkmenistan and survey water quality for villages in north africa motivated by his fieldwork in atmospheric and environmental sciences and his experiences providing assistance to disadvantaged communities belobrajdic separated from the military in 2016 to pursue academic degrees at texas a&m changing career paths from active-duty military to a full-time student civilian has been a challenge he said im grateful my continued educational development and community involvement has served my college and country so well i am deeply honored for the opportunity to be a part of the pat tillman foundation and his legacy as i continue my journey towards nasaphotos courtesy of lance belobrajdicphotos courtesy of lance belobrajdicbelobrajdic also actively serves with outreach programs to provide water purification in remote locations and severe weather reporting in the central united states he continues to serve as a weather forecaster in the texas air national guard we are very proud to have an exceptional student like lance in the new five-year two-degree program said dr shari yvon-lewis texas a&m oceanography department head about the pat tillman foundation in 2002 pat tillman put his nfl career on hold to serve in the military family and friends established the pat tillman foundation following pats death in april 2004 while serving in afghanistan created to honor pats legacy of leadership and service the pat tillman foundation invests in military veterans and their spouses through academic scholarships a national network and professional development opportunities read more about the two additional aggie 2018 tillman scholars at texas a&m today learn more about the master of ocean science and technology 5-year accelerated graduate degree program by leslie lee 09