Airman loses 100 lbs. to join Air Force

  • Published
  • By Mike Joseph
6/8/2012 --  6/8/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- A young man's loss is the Air Force's gain.

When Airman Mitchell Imlah graduated Air Force Basic Military Training May 18 as an honor graduate, it capped more than 18 months of dedication and hard work by the 18-year-old Minocqua, Wisc., native.

For the 6-foot-1-inch Imlah to achieve his boyhood dream to serve in the military, he had to shed more than 100 pounds and get physically fit.

"I was sick and tired of my weight," Imlah said about being close to 300 pounds as a high school senior in 2010-11.

"I wanted to find a reason to lose it," he said, "and I always wanted to join the military. I thought I was so big that no one was ever going to take me."

What Imlah achieved was not lost on one of his military training instructors in the 326th Training Squadron.

"There are so many people who want something but don't have the drive or ambition to do it," said Tech. Sgt. Andrew Yates. "So many people want to do something amazing, and it is well within their reach. What he did to come to BMT was really kind of out of his reach.

"He went through extraordinary measures just to come here, to have a chance at a better life and serve his country," Yates said. "I have nothing but absolute respect for that. His motivation showed through in the job he did as a basic trainee, in the job he did as an Airman and in the job he will do as an Airman."

Imlah's journey started in October 2010. One encounter provided the motivation and determination he would need.

"I'd been biking for about two weeks," he said. "I went into a recruiting office and weighed in at 294. I'm pretty sure that recruiter was trying to hold back laughing at me."

Motivated and driven, Imlah's two-mile bike rides soon became 10 miles, then 20, then 30. Combined with his own diet plan, Imlah soon dropped 30 pounds.

Wanting to lose weight faster and get healthier, Imlah made more lifestyle changes. He altered his diet, started running in spring 2011, and added workouts with two friends who had been accepted into the Air Force that summer after graduating from high school.

"I dropped the first 30 pounds eating whatever I wanted but only 1,200 calories a day," Imlah said. "I decided I wanted to lose weight faster and eat healthy. I went from the mindset of 'I think I can lose weight' to 'get healthy while I lose weight.'

The workouts, continued weight loss, and being on the Delayed Entry Program led him to Tech. Sgt. Jesse Dettman, an Air Force recruiter in the Minocqua area.

"In December 2011, Sergeant Dettman told me to drop a little more weight and he could send me to MEPS (the Military Entrance Processing Station)," said Imlah. "When someone in the Delayed Entry Program was injured, I got to come in early.

"My recruiter did that for me because he knew I'd worked hard to get in," he said. "Sergeant Dettman never gave up on me and always motivated me."

When Imlah arrived at the MEPS Feb. 2, he weighed 194 pounds - a loss of 100 pounds and 14 inches around the waist.

"I'm proud I've made it this far," Imlah said. "I don't know if I had doubts in myself, but I'm glad I never went back on what I wanted to do. All I wanted to do was join the Air Force."