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As a fifth grader growing up in Arkansas, all Jordan Carr could
think of was becoming a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force.
Now 1st Lt. Jordan Carr, 67th Fighter Squadron pilot, has
finally achieved his childhood dream.
“We had to do a
newspaper article about what we wanted to do for our future career,”
said Carr. “I wrote about how when I grew up, I wanted to be a
fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. From then on, I thought, ‘Ok,
now everything I do, I can work toward this and always have a goal,
even if it’s super long-term and I’m only a fifth grader, I can make
it happen.’”
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Top - U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Jordan Carr, 67th
Fighter Squadron pilot, gives a thumbs-up as he leaves refueling hot
pits during a surge operation at Kadena Air Base, Japan on January
11, 2017. During
surge operations, pilots make stops at hot pits to have their
aircraft refueled to continue sortie production. Bottom - U.S. Air
Force 1st Lt. Jordan Carr, 67th Fighter Squadron pilot stands
proudly in front of his fighter aircraft at Kadena Air Base, Japan
on January 23, 2017. As a fighter pilot, Carr assists with
maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region.
CCarr has wanted to be a fighter pilot since he was in the fifth
grade, achieving his goal almost 16 years later ... with the U.S.
Air Force.
(Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Air Force
photos by Senior Airman Lynette M. Rolen)
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Throughout all of this time, over 16 years, Carr
had support from his family, especially his two older
brothers who have successful Air Force careers.
“It’s impossible to stay the course 100% of the time, so
having supportive parents and great role models in my life
played the most vital role,” said Carr. “Staying engaged in
competitive activities also helped me along the way.”
Carr further stated the guidance and encouragement
provided by his family and role models kept him on his path
to becoming a fighter pilot.
Carr graduated from the
University of Arkansas’ Air Force ROTC program in 2013.
Now, he’s a fighter pilot who’s living out his childhood
dream and is living proof of how long-term goals can be
achieved.
“It feels great knowing if you set a goal,
anything is possible,” said Carr. “Much like any other
career, achieving the initial title is just the beginning
and now you essentially have a license to learn. Every day
is a constant reminder that you can learn something new,
polish a skillset, or focus on a weak point in order to
better yourself and others.”
As a reminder of his
childhood goals, Carr’s mother kept the article from his
childhood to the present day.
“When I came out here,
my mom framed the newspaper article from fifth grade,” said
Carr. “I’m living the dream. There are a lot of fun things
about being a fighter pilot. It’s exhilarating to fly fast
and be tactically minded during the flight, but it’s also a
lot of hard work.”
In addition to flying, Carr
monitors several additional duties. Although it’s hard work,
Carr commented he enjoys his job and finds it rewarding.
“Carr’s most notable characteristic is his positivity,”
said Capt. Gregory Schroeder, 67th FS weapons officer. “He’s
never pessimistic and his positive demeanor influences
everybody else. He works with maintainers frequently and is
a great wingman.”
Carr enjoys working with
maintainers because it provides him with an opportunity to
share his enthusiasm about his job.
“One of my
favorite parts of the job is being able to share it with
others,” said Carr. “When we do incentive flights for the
maintainers, you’re able to showcase what their hard work is
going toward. It’s an awesome way to thank them.”
Carr said he also enjoys sharing information about his job
with his family.
“It’s always fun to tell them what’s
going on,” said Carr. “Especially when my two older brothers
speak the language (of being a pilot) and we can talk about
the nature of the work and the fun things about it.”
Carr mentioned even though his job is fun, he is constantly
studying and perfecting his skill.
“The 18th Wing is
successful because Airmen like 1st Lt. Carr are not
satisfied with the status quo,” said Capt. Robert Hendrick,
67th FS assistant director of operations. “He has spent long
hours during the week and many weekends at the squadron
preparing for training missions and ensuring the rest of the
squadron has the tactical tools to succeed.”
Hendrick
further commented Carr’s dedication helps the 67th FS
maintain a tactical edge and contributes to 18th Wing
mission success.
“There are a lot of little cogs
that make up the big picture,” said Carr. “I think it’s easy
to get tunnel vision, so it’s important to step back and
realize we’re all part of a team. No community is better
than another. Remaining humble keeps our (Eagle) team
performing at a high level while encouraging positive
integration with other units.”
By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lynette M. Rolen
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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