ROTC cadet, destined to be a pilot

Photo By Stephenie Wade | A MC-12 pilot assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron prepares to land on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Aug. 14, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sgt. Stephenie Wade)  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

08.14.2013

Story by Staff Sgt. Stephenie Wade 

455th Air Expeditionary Wing   

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - "I guess I didn't really think about it growing up, being a pilot was all I knew," said 1st Lt. Sean a pilot assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron on Bagram Airfield Afghanistan. "I am a military brat. My father was an Air Force F-16 pilot, his father was a helicopter pilot in the Coast Guard and both my dad's brothers were pilots. I suppose they were the driving force in my career choice."

He said he was the first one in his family to go through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program. Following ROTC at Virginia Tech, he completed undergraduate pilot training at Columbus AFB, Miss., in November 2012 and Mission Qualifications training in April. From there, Sean was tasked to deploy for the first time in June.

"I feel like this is my first real Air Force experience," he said. "It's pretty unusual for a first lieutenant to deploy, because our training is just so long. Here I work closely with enlisted personnel who teach me a lot about how the enlisted side of the Air Force works, and I get to perform the mission I was trained to do for the first time within my career."

Sean has been in the military for little more than two years and most of his time was spent in training preparing for just this, a deployment.

"The Bagram 4 ERS MC-12s and aircrews have provide ISR support to ground forces in Afghanistan, employing a range of sensors and equipment to give coalition forces the information they need to complete their mission," he said.

Unlike many career fields, ISR pilots are unique in the fact that their job can only be accomplished while deployed. For this reason, airmen like him continuously rotate in and out of the area of responsibility.

"Back at home station we are not flying that much, our primary goal to train to deploy," said Sean. "My number one goal while here is to get a lot of flight hours to gain experience."

So far Sean has completed 42 missions, and his goal is 100.

"I have learned how we fight the war here, that everyone has a part and support each other," Sean. We [MC-12] support the members on the ground by finding the bad guys. I am most proud of the missions where we are over watching a group of members on the ground in a convoy. We watch the ground to make sure they don't get hit."

• Date Taken: 08.14.2013
• Date Posted: 08.15.2013 03:54
• Story ID: 111990
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF