Ethan Greenmun: From Model U.N. to Air Force Intelligence

For Utah State University senior Ethan Greenmun, the path to a career in military intelligence began with a global crisis and a high school passion for international relations.

Greenmun, a 21-year-old Texas native majoring in political science with a minor in aerospace studies, is preparing to commission as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force following his graduation this semester.

Greenmun’s interest in the political landscape was sparked by participating in the Model United Nations in high school and was further solidified by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during his sophomore year.

“It kind of opened my eyes up to like what was going on in the world," Greenmun said. "And so all that got me interested in political science and international relations type things."

Upon arriving at Utah State University, Greenmun found a community that fostered his interests through intellectual discussion.

“It's just been super interesting because you get to talk with all sorts of interesting people, hear all sorts of points of view that you would never hear or learn about," Greenmun said.

A cornerstone of Greenmun’s collegiate experience has been his involvement in the Air Force ROTC program, which he joined after transferring to USU in January 2023.

Now as an upperclassman within the program, Greenmun’s responsibilities have shifted to include lesson planning and budget management. This semester alone, he has managed a university budget of about $5,000, along with an additional $3,000 in discretionary funds.

“The transition from an underclassman to an upperclassman has been kind of interesting, because you go from just participating in these classes to ... doing a lot of, like, actual lesson planning," Greenmun said.

Beyond ROTC, he has been an active member of the campus community, serving on the former College of Humanities and Social Sciences Student Council and working as both a peer adviser and peer ambassador.

Greenmun credits his time at Utah State with developing essential skills such as networking and communication, as well as helping him define his personal style as a leader.

“A big thing that they emphasize in the ROTC program is figuring out our leadership style and who we want to be leaders," Greenmun said. “We've written mission and vision statements as to what our leadership is going to be like."

Following graduation, Greenmun will head to Texas for a specialized intelligence technical school. While his long-term goal is to complete a full 20-year military career, he remains focused on the immediate impact of his education.

“Just kind of knowing some of the mechanisms of how things work, both in the U.S., but also overseas … is just super important just in being able to perform that job," Greenmun said.