Personal Challenge Day 2

My mom, the Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot

My mom was a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. She now teaches second grade in a small town in Minnesota. She’s pretty amazing. Many of my friends and former colleagues know this, but perhaps you don’t know one of my favorite stories, which she reminded me of this past week.

My dad worked on a golf course after college, before he joined the Navy. My mom was a school teacher and in the National Guard working basically as secretary. This is before she went to flight school. One day, my dad was getting ready to leave his shift, complaining to his manager about how tired he was and how he couldn’t wait to go to sleep, when my mom pulled up in the parking lot. His boss told him to wait until the girl (my mom) entered the pro shop because she was *super cute* and my dad should see her. When she went up to the counter, he asked if she would like to join him, as he was just about to golf 18. Dad’s boss, having just heard him complain about how tired he was, started laughing. She agreed, and they became friends.

My mom was already dating some guy who was either in med school or already a doctor. I can’t remember. When my mom was accepted to flight school to fly Hueys, the dude gave her an ultimatum. She could be his wife, or she could go to flight school. The same day, my dad sent her flowers with a note that said “Go get em, Ace!” She picked my dad.

I love that story. It captures a bit of who my mom and dad are as individuals and as a couple. I plan to write more about both of them (My dad is also amazing — Commander of the 184th Intelligence wing, A-6 and B-1 bombardier, Space Command, JTAC, great at making pancakes).

In 2003, my mom volunteered to go to Afghanistan. Her unit was deployed, but not everyone needed to go. Being the only woman — especially given that she had an 8 year old daughter (me) — her guys told her she could stay home. When discussing this with my dad, he told her that if she stayed home, she would regret it for the rest of her life. She agreed and volunteered to go. She logged more than 100 combat hours over her deployment. While in Afghanistan, she started project “Kid to Kid,” to provide school supplies to children in Afghanistan. School packets were sent to her from all over the United States.

Here are a few pictures that she took / were taken of her while she was in Afghanistan.

It is a dream of mine to help my mom write her memoir. I don’t think I have the writing skills to do it justice, so am looking for someone to ghost write for us. If you are the right person, or know the right person, please let me know!