The Thunderbirds gave one native advocate the journey of a lifetime at Shaw Air Force Base.
Jessica Varney from Pickens County has devoted the final 12 months to serving to save navy and veteran lives by means of suicide prevention.
On Friday, the Thunderbirds confirmed their appreciation by taking her for the journey of a lifetime.
RELATED: Air Force Thunderbirds, Navy Blue Angels fly ‘Super Delta’ formation for the primary time
“It’s pretty rare to get to see the Thunderbirds up close, and the chances of flying with them are very small,” stated Vice Wing Commander, Kevin Hicock.Â
Varney was chosen for what the Thunderbirds name a “Hometown Hero” flight after being nominated by her neighborhood.Â
Thunderbird pilot, Lt. Col. Ryan Yingling says it was an honor to get to take her up within the sky.Â
“For her to not have a military background and take on that role means a lot to us,” Lt. Col. Yingling defined. “It was just a small token of our appreciation to what she is doing for her community and our military community.”
After touchdown and recovering from her flight, Varney spoke about her time with the Thunderbirds.
RELATED: Thunderbirds to carry out at Shaw Air Force Base
“It was amazing and I would do it again if I could,” she stated.
Varney says, though it was fantastic to be acknowledged, she nonetheless wished all the consideration to be centered on her trigger.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health. Flying in an F-16 is something I never thought I’d do but more than that it’s highlighting this message,” she acknowledged.
The Thunderbirds will carry out tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 within the Air and Space Show at Shaw Air Force Base. The base encourages folks to get there early to ensure they get a seat.
For additional particulars on the present schedule, you possibly can go to the Shaw Air Force Base web site.
