JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Pitman Kennedy is passionate about giving back, making a difference and leaving a lasting impact.
Born in Liberia, his journey to the U.S. started more than 30 years ago when he fled civil war in his home country with little more than the clothes on his back. He started his new life with a GED and a drive to succeed. That drive carried him through a 21-year Air Force career as a health services manager, multiple college degrees and the establishment of youth coaching and mentoring programs.
As an innovation program analyst with AFIMSC, Pitman takes pride in helping the Air Force find, develop and implement solutions to installation and mission support challenges. For each project he manages, he assembles a cross-discipline team, finds funding and builds an execution plan to take the idea from concept to reality. Those ideas can be big or small. One project he’s especially proud of came from a young Airman and promises to boost the quality of life for dorm residents. Intelligent Lockers – the top idea from the 2021 AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo – provides secure mail locker systems for base dorms, making it easier for Airmen to get their packages while relieving stress on the base post office.
“It has been a pleasure working with Airman 1st Class Ricardo “Noah” Morales and all the stakeholders to make this project a success,” he said.
Pitman’s motivation to help reaches back to his home country in Africa. He recently spent time in Monrovia, Liberia, providing meals to 600 children and hosting a basketball skills development clinic while delivering a message of hope and encouraging education.
“The attitude to achieve and get better is what helped me,” he said. Along with “the courage to not quit and belief that where there's a will, there's a way.”