Grad Josh Clenin to take flight as helicopter pilot after leading UTSA’s Army ROTC

MAY 12, 2023 — Josh Clenin isn’t afraid to jump out of an airplane. He’s done it many times. And when he graduates later this month, he will head to Alabama to enroll in Army flight school at Fort Novosel.

The Keller, Texas, native served as the Army ROTC Cadet Battalion Commander for the 2022-23 academic year, leading almost 150 cadets. That service led to his selection by the Army Aviation Branch to attend flight school in Alabama and eventually serve as an Army helicopter pilot. When he graduates, Clenin, 21, will already be a commissioned officer in the Army.

He joined ROTC because he wanted to become a pilot after growing up around airplanes. Clenin’s father works as an airplane technician for Southwest Airlines, and his grandfather also worked for commercial airlines, allowing Clenin to hang out in hangars around colossal vessels of flight.

“That sparked my interest in being a pilot,” he said.

Clenin will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary educational studies. Originally, he intended to major in engineering but decided to switch to education so he could work with students. A math lover, Clenin worked while in school as a tutor at Mathnasium, where he taught everything from calculus to how to count.

While Clenin chose UTSA because of the scholarship and financial aid opportunities, he came to love the Army ROTC program, the university and the city. He said he had great opportunities to succeed at UTSA, strong support from ROTC instructors and a newfound adoration for San Antonio.

“I really like San Antonio. It’s a big city, but it also feels really small at times,” he said. “It is easy for it not to feel like 2 million people live here.”

Three days a week at 6 a.m., Clenin endures an hour of physical training with the Army ROTC. He is especially grateful to his ROTC family, who helped him develop the discipline to wake up early and work out, as well as accomplish other difficult tasks. He said he learned a lot from his leaders and from his peers, whose respect for Clenin grew even more as they watched him serve as cadet battalion commander this past year.

“The instructors for the ROTC program were really good,” he said. “If you put in effort, they were going to put in effort to you.”

Those efforts paid off the summer after Clenin’s sophomore year at UTSA. He got to go to the Army’s Airborne School in Fort Moore, Georgia. There he learned how to do static line parachute jumps out of an airplane. Although he’s not a fan of heights, Clenin called it a “unique opportunity, especially for cadets.”

“We jumped five times. You’re up there for 30-40 seconds, and you can see everything,” he said. “It was awesome and beautiful.”

But was he scared?

“It’s kind of crazy, going out of the airplane,” Clenin said, “but then once your parachute opens, it’s the most calm experience ever.”

— Brooke Crum