Fairchild 'fueled' my excitement for the military

As a young lady in the infancy of her freelance work and in the process of enlisting in the U.S. Army, my experience flying with the Thunderbirds yesterday, in advance of Skyfest, was unimaginable.

A press caravan arrived at Fairchild Air Force Base on Thursday, May 12.

The 0700 — that’s 7 a.m. in military time — arrival riddled me with excitement, despite the lack of coffee fueling my usual caffeine addiction. I shook with excitement and chilled as the wind blew past all of us.

Two Air Force representatives met with us outside, and we were taken through the gate and led to a briefing room. In the briefing room, I sat next to a filmmaker from England and a publisher for a Pacific Northwest magazine.

I have never felt imposter syndrome so strongly in my life. As a dorky and uncoordinated 20-year-old, I was surrounded by much-older individuals representing magazines, other newspapers, and news outlets.

Squirming in my seat, I recognized how lucky I was to have this opportunity and how proud I was to be there. A presentation was cast to the wall before us, and the mission briefing rolled by.

I will soon not be a stranger to briefing missions, but I couldn’t help but feel the excitement of seeing my first briefing presentation. In fact, I felt this awe-inspiring feeling nearly the entire day.

As an easily impressionable kid, I wandered through the halls. I noted every detail of the military photos scattered across the hallways walls as we navigated downstairs to the gate. We went through security, and at the entrance, a large group of specially selected individuals was set to ride in a separate plane to experience the refueling flight as a reward for their hard work. However stoic and still they sat, I could see they were equally excited.

Our bus eventually arrived, and we left the terminal.

We drove past what felt like an exhibit of aircraft until the bus stopped at a KC135, a large air tanker. We collected b-roll videos and photos of the area until the boom operators of our flight had our seats ready.

I quickly moved to the front of the line and was the first to board the aircraft.

Walking onto the aircraft was an entirely different feeling of its own. As a child, I often imagined what it would be like to sit in those cargo seats seen in every military action film on the big screen.

Yes, we sat in traditional military jump seats.

But, as an inside joke, they were more “comfortable” than Delta airline seats. And the “first-class seating” came with unlimited legroom, ideal for tall individuals such as myself.

The stairs were removed, and the ladder lifted as we soon left for take-off. Take off was incredibly smooth. However, a TV station reporter did not account for the pressure. A tripod went AWOL as it slid down the aircraft stopping at the end of a seating row.

We flew east from Fairchild Air Force Base to Idaho, then navigated south until hitting Nevada. Somewhere in Nevada, my eyes closed for a quick cat nap.

During that time, the Thunderbirds caught up to us for a standard refueling flight.

I wandered the cabin, met the pilots, and took pictures outside the small side windows. Eventually, it was my turn to get my photos of the planned aerial refueling of the fighter jets.

I have led down a small step in the aircraft and instructed to lie down on a large blue pad. I lay there on my belly with my Canon M50 while the boom operator, one year older than me, guided the mechanism while 25,000 feet in the air.

My shutter speed was at the fastest setting I could get it in. However, my view was slightly obstructed, so the boom operator offered to help. He allowed me to re-position and switch sides to get better photos.

Unfortunately, the refueling exercise was cut short due to a mechanical issue.

I snapped dozens of photos and quickly climbed out for the next person to get their shots. Before leaving the mechanism, I snapped pictures of the charming boom operator.

Before sitting back down, I wandered around more and took more photos.

To look outside an aircraft window and make eye contact with a fighter jet pilot is an incredible moment I hope to experience again. Well, experience again, but here’s to me hoping to make eye contact with someone in a refueling jet while I ride in a fighter jet.

We crossed into Idaho again and navigated back to Fairchild. As we continued lowering, I could feel the roller coaster-like butterflies flutter in my stomach. At the same time, I held onto the seat during some brief turbulence. I counted five beeps indicating a drop in altitude.

After we landed and stepped off the aircraft, I felt eager to start my journey in the military.

For the last few weeks, I had begun to question my choice to enlist. I have been in the process of enlisting for roughly six months now. Due to college, work, and other scheduling issues, it has been a lengthy process.

After spending a day with the men and women of Fairchild Air Force Base, I realized that it'll be worth it despite how long it takes.

The brotherhood, lighthearted fun, and the thrill of adventure created a welcoming and exciting atmosphere that I couldn’t wait to join.