Dylan Smith
Sharon Holmes
Endurance
18 April 2020
My Journey: United States Navy Pilot
When I was younger I used to sit on the old, dusty couch at my grandparent’s home with my grandfather and listen to him recall his Naval experience. He would tell me about the times he would fly planes onto the aircraft carrier decks; One particular story that comes to mind is the time he crashed a plane into the Gulf of Mexico while attempting to land. I was immensely fascinated with his tellings and dreamed of one day becoming the strong, valiant United States Navy aviator my grandpa once was. Throughout my life, each airshow I went to, left my young eyes in awe of the Navy. When the F-18 Super Hornets would fly past the lakefront at subsonic speed sparking - something in me only matched by race cars - I stood like a kid in a candy shop only with a clear vision of what I needed to do --join the Navy, and fly planes.
My first airshow pierces through my mind to this day. I was six years old standing on the beach next to my dad watching the Blue Angels fly in formation. They were cruising passed overhead when two of them touched, their parts falling like rain from above me. My father and I, appearing to be the only ones that noticed -- but this was a significant moment for me because people - myself included prior to this overarching moment of realization - saw these pilots as machines incapable of mistakes. Witnessing an event like this from as close as I was, makes you realize that the pilots are just like you and everyone else: people. This made me want to be a pilot even more because the job went from something that would forever remain a dream, to something that I could actually obtain with humility and focus in mind throughout the journey. Through high school, I never lost sight of my end goal. I went to the airshow every year like it was a prerequisite to live the life of Dylan Smith. During the 2019 airshow, I had a United States Naval Academy interview with my Blue and Gold officer at the same time the show was being held. This was an incredible experience going from watching what I hope to be the final outcome, to an interview that could officially start that process -- it felt like something out of a movie, to say the least. I have always looked up to the members of the military, not just because my grandfather and great uncle were both pilots in the military but because I have seen how this country has rewarded people who have vehement drive and passion. My mother came to the United States from Columbia when she was young with her father, mother, and two sisters. They lived in New York for years before moving to Chicago -- where my mother completed her education at Senn High School: one of the most notorious Chicago high schools at the time. This has always served as a prime motivator for me because it reminded me of what the military was fighting for: hope.
While there were many motivators in my life that were close to me there was always one person I thought was essentially the epitome of what I wanted to become: Neil Armstrong. He always has been my idol growing up -- like a superhero of a sort. Like me, he was an ordinary kid from the midwest with not-so-ordinary dreams in mind. He attended Purdue University, followed by service in the United States Navy as a Naval Aviator flying Grumman F9F Panthers off the USS Essex in Korea. He also accomplished many other incredible feats such as flying the X-15 seven times (the X-15 was a hypersonic rocket-powered research aircraft). His most notable being the first man to step on the moon. On his journey to the moon, he brought a World Scout Badge which is from the Scouting organization. This represented his devotion to Boy Scouts which is something I have in common with him since having actively participated in Sea Scouts, a different branch of the Scout’s organization.
My hard work throughout high school led me to be accepted to the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School. This was a significant turning point in my path to becoming a Naval Aviator, it was the first time my dream felt like reality. It gave me a direct path to the school of my dreams. All I needed now were good grades and a few recommendations and I was in. Fast forward a year and I was at the Naval Academy, a new midshipman who had spent almost his entire life preparing for this moment like it was life or death. I spent every day working hard preparing for tests, working out, and sailing on the offshore sailing team. These were the most exciting times I’ve ever experienced up until that point but I knew there were even bigger things coming.
Four years later and I was taking my first steps out into the real world. I had decided to become a naval pilot -- something I had dreamed of since I was just a little boy. Admittedly, it was a tough decision between surface warfare and naval aviator because while I loved flying, throughout my life I had also developed a love for boats that was now ingrained in me. In the end, I followed the footsteps of my relatives before me. Now that I had a job I got straight to work. I was flown out to NAS Pensacola, the Navy air station, and was on to flight school, something straight out of Top Gun. I was in flight school for two years before I was awarded my wings and ready for take-off.
Flying for the Navy is the most prized memory of my lifetime. Whether it was supporting troops in combat, or running surveillance missions over enemy territory I always felt important -- like I was making a difference. I remember one air support mission where our troops on the ground were surrounded and the only way out was for the enemy circle to be breached. My team flew in at 5,000 ft and once we were over the target we dropped our one-ton bombs, eliminating the enemy and saving American lives. To this day I wonder what would have happened to the families of those we saved if we hadn’t been there in time, or hadn’t executed the mission as we did. Would they still be together? What would have happened to the children? I also think of all the people like my mother who came here for a better life and got it because of the efforts of military personnel who risked their lives each and every day to keep the place they call home safe.
