|
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul Laser, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior pilot, 4th Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, adjusts his helmet and prepares for takeoff during a training flight day at Joint Base Lewis-McChord,
March 6, 2012. Safety checks are an engrained part of all missions
regardless of military occupational specialties. This is especially
important in the aviation community. Photo by Army Staff Sgt. David Chapman
|
|
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (3/14/2012) -The whine of the
turbine engine is deafening as the engine spins up and lifts the
aircraft into the air. The pilots of these aircraft see the world
from an entirely different perspective than most any military
occupational specialty in the Army.
For one Soldier, Chief
Warrant Officer 2 Paul Laser, OH-58D Kiowa Warriors pilot, 4th
Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, being a pilot
in the Army was all he thought about before joining the Army.
During the late '90s the Kaysville, Utah, native took the
opportunity to earn his private pilot's license with the intension
of getting a job with a major airline. The events of Sept. 11, 2001,
eliminated the availability of entry level jobs in the aviation
industry, commented Laser. After doing some research and discussing
the military life with family and his wife of 12 years, he decided
that the Army aviation world would be his next adventure.
After spending seven years as an aircraft powerplant repairer for
the Army, Laser finally got his opportunity to |
|
move up and attend flight school where the Army would pay him to
chase his dream of being a pilot. |
“I have always had the bug for aviation. Before I joined
the Army I had my private pilots license, but had always
wanted to be in the military. After talking it over with my
wife and my father-in-law, I decided I was going to come in
as an enlisted soldier and spend a little time doing that
until I could get into flight school,” said Laser.
With all the jobs that the Army offers, the excitement Laser
gets from his current job reminds him of why he joined the
military.
“What we do is awesome. We get to go fly
around, there is nothing like it,” said Laser. “It is
amazing especially here. On a clear day you can see Mount
Rainier, Mount Baker, the whole chain of mountains. It is
absolutely beautiful.”
As a pilot, Laser is thankful
for the service he provides and that even with his past as a
mechanic, he would not think of doing anything else in the
military.
“We work for the guys on the ground.
Anytime we launch, especially downrange, we are over-head
and there for them. It's what we do,” said Laser. “Our
primary job is recon, but we are always on call. When they
need us we are going to do everything we can do to help them
out. It looks sexy what we do but mostly it's a lot of
flying around in circles. More than anything we are there
for the soldiers.”
Laser wanted to clear up some
misconceptions about what it means to be a helicopter pilot
in the Army.
“I think a lot of people get the
impression pilots are a bunch of cowboys, especially in the
scout world, but that's not us at all. There is a lot of
planning that goes into every flight and you are constantly
learning as a pilot,” said Laser. “When we leave flight
school the knowledge we gain can't be just tossed away. We
study constantly because at any given time an instructor
pilot can come up to you and tell you it is your day for a
no-notice examination. The instructor than gives you an oral
test and takes you up for a flight to check your skills.”
But as a pilot, not every day is about great war stories
and the freedom of flying, there can be worries and concerns
about the dangers of the job.
“My grandfather died in
a plane crash as a C-130 pilot. There are things that happen
in aviation that just happen. People get in car accidents
and there are aircraft accidents. For me, and most of the
pilots here, you accept that and it really doesn't bother
you,” said Laser. “But when something like an accident
happens, seeing how the families left behind are affected
causes you to pause and reprioritize things in your life. It
is not something I think about when I go out and fly, but I
know if something were to happen, my family would be taken
care of.”
While the Davis High School graduate and
all-state ice hockey defenseman knows that deployments are a
necessary part of being in the military, he sees them
positively and is eager to put his skills to the test.
“Deployments are a double edge sword. I will of course
miss my family, but look forward to actually getting to
employ the aircraft in the role it was intended for,” said
Laser. “In training, all we do is ‘pretend'. It will be nice
to have a chance to do the real deal and build on the
positive reputation the scout community has developed with
our customers on the ground. I want to be counted among
those professionals.”
Fortunately for Laser, he has
the support of his family and friends to do his job every
day and know they stand behind him as he serves in the
military.
“My family has been very supportive of my
decisions. I was 27 when I decided to join. When I told my
folks they just wondered why now. My dad knew I would always
fly something and he loves talking to me about aviation,”
said Laser. “My father-in-law is a lieutenant colonel and my
wife's step-father was a green beret. They love the fact
that I have found a home in the Army and enjoy it as much as
I do. I get my support from my family.”
For those
from Kaysville and other soldiers in the military who think
that being a pilot is unattainable, Laser said there is no
time like the present.
“Don't wait if you want to be
a pilot. People talk all the time. If you are just going to
talk about it you are never going to do it,” said Laser.
“Find out what you need to get started with your packet.
Worst case someone will say no, then you go and resubmit it
again. But you have to stay dedicated if it is what you
want.”
By Army Staff Sgt. David Chapman
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
Comment on this article |
