Heroes?

In the past two weeks, I’ve heard the word “Hero” used quite a bit, and often in reference to me. Each time I hear it, I feel like looking around the room to see whom the person is talking about. I am no hero. I haven’t cured any devastating illness, I haven’t saved anyone’s life, I haven’t prevented any catastrophe, I haven’t invented a way to reduce gas prices ($4.00 a gallon?? It was “only” $2.50 when I left!!), in short, I’ve not done anything to save the proverbial day. I don’t wear a shiny red cape or change clothes in phone booths, I just wear a tan flight suit and do the job I’ve been trained and love to do. Hardly a heroic deed, at least in my humble opinion. The fact that I do that job in some far off war-torn country that we see on the evening news every day is I think where the - for lack of a better term – misconception comes from.

Before I go any further, let me say that I certainly do not mean to sound conceited or ungrateful in anyway for all the wonderful support I/we have received from family, friends and even complete strangers. Knowing that we’re thought of, missed, loved and cared for by people back home means the world to me and all the soldiers I know. Knowing that people acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifices we, and more importantly, our families have made means a great deal as well. Still, that in and of itself does not make me a hero, at least by my definition.

A hero to me is the 19 year old PFC who goes “outside the wire” (off base) every day and must constantly be wary of IEDs, Snipers, Suicide Bombers, and whatever other new forms of death and destruction the bad guys have to offer today. For him/her, there is no guarantee that once they leave the relative safety and security of the base that they will return safely to the same when their patrol is over. Each day they gamble with their lives, and they do it willingly and fully aware of the threats that face them. If that weren’t enough, most of them do it for 15 months on end. They are heroes. I just fly airplanes.

A hero to me is the 22 year old who throws himself on a grenade because he knows it will save his fellow soldiers. Can you imagine the kind of split second courage a decision like that would take? Deciding whether or not to save yourself or to end your own life in order to save friends’ lives? I cannot fathom ever having to make such a decision, and I’m not too proud to admit that there are only a select few people in this world that mean enough to me to make such a decision. That young man is a hero. I just fly airplanes.

Heroes do what they do not because they want the praise, awards or spotlight, not because they are paid to do it, not because they are told to do it, but because they believe it to be the right thing to do, and know that if they don’t do it, someone else will have to be put in harms way to get the job done.

I think people refer to us as heroes collectively for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they do not fully understand what it is we do. Perhaps they feel that just because we do what we do where we do it, we qualify for the accolades. Perhaps they feel the sacrifices we make (even tho our families sacrifice far more than we do) qualify us. Perhaps it is because they appreciate people who are willing to do things that they themselves are not (As I appreciate the “grunt” soldiers who go out and do the dirty/dangerous work every day.) Perhaps they are just grateful for what we do and don’t know how else to qualify us (I’ve found that people have an innate need to label everything…) Who knows? I’m sure the reasons vary from person to person, just as I have my own definitions of what makes a hero. Whatever the reason behind it, I truly appreciate the sentiment, even if I don’t feel qualified. There are definitely true heroes in our ranks, don't get me wrong, but at least for myself, I'm pretty much just satisfied knowing that I've done the best, safest job I can. That's enough for me.

Quite honestly, I hope I never do anything to actually qualify for my own definition of a hero. There is an old saying that pilots have: “Always use your superior judgment to avoid situations in which you would have to demonstrate your superior skill.” If I ever find myself in a situation that requires heroism, something has gone severely wrong and I try my best to ensure that I avoid such situations whenever possible. Heroism is hazardous to your health, and I’ve developed a breathing habit that I’ve become rather fond of. My goal in this little adventure is not to become a “hero”, but just to return home safely to my friends and family in the same (or better) condition as I left.