Major Mike

Due to recent blizzard conditions in the Midwest, I was snowed in this weekend. Thankfully I was blessed with the company of my neighbor so the days were not completely awash in boredom, but that doesn’t change the fact that there were no opportunities to go out and encounter anyone – the place was a ghost town from what I could see out the living room window.

So I’ve decided to go back in time to an encounter that took place during my time in Texas. And in the spirit of my upcoming trip back to the Big D for a much needed vacation, what a better time to introduce one of my favorite Air Force men.

Working as an a junior account team member on a large military financial services account, I had the opportunity to travel back to San Antonio (my original stomping grounds in the Lone Star state) for a weekend long event at the Lackland Air Fest. This thought, of being around military planes for an entire weekend, excited me in and of itself. But to my surprise, there was another element to the event that made it one of the best experiences to date.

When my oversized purple and red jet landed in San Antonio, I picked up my rental car and headed straight for the Starbucks in the Quarry. It was great to be back in the city, there was always this feeling of complete freedom that I can’t seem to find anywhere else. My day started with errands, followed by a stop at the client’s office for additional logistics planning before heading to the event site for set-up. When I arrived at the office, I was greeted by my boss who took the flight after mine, my favorite co-worker Chris (seriously, but we’ll have to get into that another day), and an active duty Air Force Major who was the other point person on the event planning committee, we’ll call him Mike (though that’s actually his name).

Mike was in his early 30s, had a great sense of humor, and was eager to make this event a success. Having the opportunity to work side-by-side with Mike and Chris was a privilege, and I learned a whole hell of a lot more in one weekend than I ever expected I would – while having the time of my life. Mike wasn’t a pilot, though he, like me, was absolutely head over heals for the aircraft, the power behind them, and the feeling of merely being in their presence. From the first day of the air show, Mike could see my passion for the planes, and he not only respected it, but completely understood my infatuation.

Through the dull moments of the event, he would step outside the guest tent with me and watch what was happening with the show. On day two, when the clouds had cleared and the crowds were heavy, there wasn’t much available time for watching the show. The day was fast paced, and before I knew it, we were in the lull just before the Thunderbird’s final performance. Mike came over and asked me to hop on a shuttle with him to head up to the air strip, saying he needed help with crowd control after the event. I was surprised by this as the event still had almost an hour until completion, but complied with orders (get it, orders, he’s an Air Force Major) and got on the shuttle with him. We arrived at the show just in time to see the Thunderbirds start their performance. It was an incredible 45 minutes, being directly under these powerful machines as they maneuvered above us – a feeling I cannot put into words.

After the show, we indeed needed to help with crowd control. The next couple hours were a blur, until it was time to head out and get on a flight back to Dallas. I couldn’t thank Mike enough for the opportunity to see the Thunderbirds up close and personal – and I couldn’t stop smiling about it all night. This was an amazing opportunity for me to experience such a successful event for our client, not to mention having met someone who understands one of my greatest passions, even when it can’t be put into words.