KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, NM. -- For Staff Sgt. Taylor Dale, life hasn’t always gone according to plan. But if there’s one thing he’s learned along the way, it’s that what matters most isn’t the mistakes you make but what you do after them.
Dale, now a military training leader(MTL) with the 58th Special Operations Wing, grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. He had to start working early and was holding down jobs since the age of 15. Education wasn’t something he focused much on back then; he had to focus on being able to make a living. After graduating high school, he went to work at a car manufacturing plant, a solid job that many in his hometown saw as a long-term career.
But Dale couldn’t shake the feeling that he was meant for something more.
“I saw a lot of people around me making choices I didn’t want for my life,” he said. “I knew I needed to take a different path.”
Some of his friends had joined the military after high school, and the idea stuck with him. He saw an opportunity there and a way to grow, see the world, and build a future. So, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and chose security forces, drawn to the career field’s challenge and its worldwide mission.
His first assignment took him to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, which was thankfully not far from home. But just a few months into his new career, Dale hit a rough patch. After receiving a reckless driving Article 111 on base, his driving privileges were suspended and his badge and beret were taken while the investigation ran its course.
“It was a wake-up call,” he said. “I realized how quickly everything I worked for could be taken away — and not just from me. My actions affected my teammates too.”
That moment changed everything. Dale decided he wasn’t going to let a mistake define him. He poured himself into his work, determined to prove that he could turn his life around. When the investigation concluded, he came back stronger. He earned a Letter of Admonishment, deployed to Qatar, and earned both the Defender of the Month award and an Air Force Achievement Medal during his deployment.
From there, his career continued to climb. His next assignment took him to Belgium, where he took on more responsibility, ran classes, and earned his promotion to Staff Sergeant. He also got to go on numerous TDY’s and lead training for security forces on base and from other bases.
While stationed in Belgium, an unexpected opportunity arose: the chance to become a Military Training Leader. Knowing how much that role could impact future Airmen, Dale jumped at it. After completing Military Training Leader School at Keesler Air Force Base, he arrived at the 58th Special Operations Wing just six months ago and has been excelling in his new position where he has already won Volunteer of the Quarter.
“Being an MTL gives me the chance to be the kind of person I wish I’d had early in my career,” Dale said. “When I made my mistakes, I didn’t have someone to show me how to bounce back. Now, I want to be that person for others.”
He shares his philosophy with every Airman he mentors:
“Don’t let your mistakes define you. It’s what you do after, and how you bounce back, that matters.”
In his personal life, he is also inspired by his fiancée and is looking forward to getting married soon. He met his fiancée, also a former security forces member, while stationed at Eglin. The two reconnected when she joined the Air National Guard in Alabama, and they’ve made their long-distance relationship work ever since, proving that persistence pays off both professionally and personally.
Looking ahead, Dale plans to complete a 20-year Air Force career and later transition into local law enforcement, with hopes of one day working for the FBI or CIA after seeing their great work while stationed overseas.
For now, though, his focus remains on shaping the next generation of Airmen. Thank you SSgt Dale for your service and inspiring perseverance.