The challenge is on. I have challenged one of our VAC volunteers to see who can raise the most money for VAC Hero Flight 2011. The winner of the challenge will have the opportunity to start out our golf event in North Carolina by skydiving onto the golf course right before the shotgun start. After having two kids, I crossed skydiving off my bucket list for being a little too risky, although it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. However, this particular opportunity comes with the benefit of doing a tandem jump with (former Golden Knight) SFC Mike Elliott, who took President Bush for his 85th birthday. Right back in the bucket list. I’m asking you to help me check this off the bucket list the RIGHT way-by actually doing it! And, asking your support of a great cause.

The Ranger Group is donating the jump, so ALL proceeds go directly to VAC. You can also purchase your tickets to our event and even sponsor a table in support of my jump. And, if you can’t make it to our event, but want to support VAC, you can do that too! Feel free to pass this on!

Click HERE to donate:

Thanks for your continued support of our mission,

Jen Salvati
Operations Manager

What I Learned from Listening to Heroes by Mike Gaston-VAC Pilot

Veterans Airlift Command pilots and aircraft transported wounded warriors and support staff from San Antonio to Las Cruces on Friday March 25 so they could participate in the annual Bataan Death March Memorial hike through the White Sands Missile base.
My passengers were two Army and one Air Force enlisted men from the 59th Warrior Transition Battalion and a physical therapist from their unit. We left San Antonio in a flight of two, our Cessna 340 and a Cessna 414. We stayed a flight of two until we reached Pecos, TX, where I decided to get more gas to cope with the un-forecast 55knot headwind and the guys decided we were short on Mexican food.
The FBO in Pecos gave us the keys to his old Suburban and directed us to La Fiesta Restaurant. There Gabriela steered the men to the ‘Mexican Chicken Fried Steak’, a La Fiesta specialty. This masterpiece of culinary art hung over the sides of the plate, but my men were up to the task at hand and laid waste to the paper thin beef patty coated with abundant fried batter and pepper sauce. Sounds terrible, but is actually pretty good.
Back to the airport and ready to go Las Cruces. Before we left, the FBO presented each of us with honorary sheriff’s badges representing the “Law West of the Pecos” enforced by the legendary Judge Roy Bean.
Over lunch I learned that Oscar, the squad leader, was from Hollywood, CA and has been to Afghanistan once and Iraq twice on a striker team. He is responsible to make sure his 16 man squad in San Antonio is getting all the support they have available from the various resources and that they are following their rehabilitation plans.
Mark, the physical therapist, is retired from the Navy after a career as a corpsman and physical therapist and is a civilian in the program in San Antonio. His wife is an Air Force surgical trauma nurse, who has completed three tours in Iraq. Mark just completed a program to teach how to use a Segway to candidates who need it for mobility. The Segway Company has donated 1,000 of the two wheeled units to the program.
Justin is from Greenville, TX and was in Iraq on a 101st striker team. He climbed up front in the right seat on the trip from Pecos to Las Cruces. I thought he wanted to fly the airplane, but he was asleep in ten minutes. The man can eat an entire Mexican chicken fried steak, but he can’t stay awake afterwards.
Marcus is an Air Force electronics guru from “some-little-town-in-Oklahoma-you-never-heard-of”. He is based in San Antonio now, but was based in Biloxi, MS. He is eager to get back on a motorcycle. He is back on active duty as he continues his rehab.
I listened to good natured Army versus Air Force versus Navy jabs all the way to Las Cruces. Neither the Marines nor the Coast Guard was mentioned at all. Thanks for little favors. Also, I have never had any passengers use the relief tube so many times. Must have had too much iced tea at La Fiesta?
I learned that a military wife give you no slack when you do not call home when you said you would even though you are out on a “black op” in Iraq. Communication from active areas are usually pretty good except when out on patrol.
I learned that the controversial “Surge” worked in Iraq. Oscar and Justin were there and saw the results as they worked in the neighborhoods with the Iraqi people. Many Iraqis have satellite dishes and watch shows like Jersey Shore and South Park… both certain to improve their opinions of the U.S.
I learned there are three good things about being an amputee:
The Army does not care about your weight anymore.
It is quicker to get a buzz from alcohol.
The VA will refit your motorcycle so you can ride it with a prosthesis.
On this hike through the desert it is a good idea to carry more than one leg. Oscar brought three.
All these men are on active duty and had to get permission to go on the Bataan Death March Memorial Hike in Las Cruces. They made this trip on their own time and took personal leave to do it. That’s right, they had to get permission to use their personal time to travel to the high desert in New Mexico, walk almost 30 miles in the heat and sand to honor their heroes from World War II.
They shared their concerns about being able to complete the hike on Sunday. It is not the physical challenge that worries them; it is their fear of failing to properly honor the men who were on the original Bataan Death March in 1942. Please read that sentence again.
They will do just fine.

Thanksgiving Mission

I'd like to share a note that went out from one of our aircraft owners about a Thanksgiving mission that was flown on a few hours notice to get some injured soldiers home for Thanksgiving. These guys just returned stateside from a nine month long tour in Afghanistan and had not yet had a chance to see their families. A big thank you goes out not only to Nick, but to everyone who helped us get soldiers home for Thanksgiving this year.

As a group we have so very much to be thankful for this year. I am thankful that I have as friends, family and co-workers such a wonderful group of talented and caring people. I would hope that as we enjoy the holiday, the great food, our families and friends this Thanksgiving that we take a minute or more to be thankful for and think about those who protect our freedoms- who daily put it all on the line for us, this great country and our way of life. Today as on past occasions – we as a group all contributed to an expression of gratitude to some of those who have so selflessly put themselves in Harms Way. Thanks to Walt Fricke and Veterans Airlift Command- we were honored to have as our guest on the company plane three wounded warriors who were trying to get home for the holiday after an extended tour of duty and months in the hospital recovering from the injuries they received in the line of duty. A special thanks to Karen Keaton for making it happen by working with local airports in Vermont and Massachusetts to keep them open after their normal hours so our crew Dave and Rich could get them home for the holiday. As I have so often heard a photo speaks a thousand words. In the rear of the aircraft is Bill Fitzgerald, who was kind enough to share the photo, and who said “thanks for sharing this wonderful event” Bill rode home with them today, they shared their stories with him. Thank you all for being a part of the sage-popovich family.


Happy Thanksgiving. Nick and Pat

Letter to Signature Palm Beach FBO from VAC Volunteer

Robert,

Thank you so much for all you and your crew did to make our Veterans Airlift flight to your FBO a success. Everyone went out of their way to help not only through multiple discounts and fee waivers but most importantly by the hospitality the Signature Palm Beach staff helped in making sure our Hero Soldier had the red carpet treatment that he and his family deserves. You went over and above and for that we greatly thank you.

I wanted to take a moment and give you a little background on what this mission was about. Marine Sergeant Carlos Evans has been deployed four times. Three times to Iraq, and once to Afghanistan. On May 16th while on foot patrol in Afghanistan, he stepped on an IED and lost both legs and his left hand. He has been in the hospital at Walter Reed for the last 5 months, and anticipates he will be in the hospital for at least another year.

Sergeant Evans and his wife both celebrate their birthdays on the same day, and he had clearance to get away for a few days to celebrate outside of a hospital environment (we all know that this is the better way to heal). They were in Fayetteville (it will be their new home once he is out of the hospital), and they wanted to get away to Florida before he goes back to Walter Reed to continue rehabilitation.

Again our hats off to you and your staff for helping make this mission such a success.

Please see the attached pictures taken at Signature Palm Beach FBO.

Respectfully,


Dan Rogers
President
Duotech Services Inc