Photo By Airman Adam Enbal | Tech. Sgt. Erik Stauffer, 420th Air Base Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge...... read more read more
When Technical Sergeant Erik Stauffer supported the 2022 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), the world’s largest military airshow, he didn’t expect an introduction to lead to marriage.
Stauffer, the 420th Air Base Squadron (ABS) noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) of radio frequency transmissions at RAF Fairford, joined the RIAT communications team and met Sophie, a longtime British volunteer since 2003.
“Our boss said, ‘This is Erik. He’s single.’ Then introduced Sophie the same way,” Stauffer said. “It was definitely a setup.”
They spent long hours working in the summer heat and quickly connected.
“It was ridiculously hot,” Sophie said. “We were on the same jobs, hanging out a lot. Then on the very last day we worked together, he chased me in the car park and asked me out.”
Their first date was at a Neolithic stone circle, followed by trips around the UK, including Bath, Scotland and Loch Ness.
“I figured he hasn’t seen much of the UK, so I showed him around,” Sophie said.
After a week in Scotland, they decided to live together. Stauffer proposed later that year in York, and they married in 2023.
At home, they’ve settled into a steady routine. Sophie Stauffer manages the house and their dog, while Erik Stauffer keeps things running on the work side.
“We’ve got a good rhythm,” Erik Stauffer said. “She keeps things squared away at home so I can focus on the mission. It works.”
They’re now preparing to move to Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, and hope to eventually return to the UK after Erik Stauffer’s retirement. He is considering a civilian role with RIAT.
“RIAT has always felt like a second home,” Sophie said. “It just fits that we met there.”
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2025 07:23 |
| Story ID: | 542671 |
| Location: | GB |
| Web Views: | 202 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, How an airshow brought two lives together, by Amn Adam Enbal, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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