HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. - The skies were gloomy and the air was cold as Chief Warrant Officer 5 Anthony Born, standardization officer, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade spent his final hours in his trusty steed over the Savannah skies Jan. 6.
The tradition of the final flight allowed Born to end his Army career in his home away from home, the pilot seat of the AH-64 Apache Helicopter.
Born has deployed twice to Afghanistan and once to Iraq during his 29 years of service. After three years as an enlisted soldier, Born attended flight school where he started flying the AH-64 Apache Helicopter. He climbed out of the pilot’s seat for the last time, a seat where he has spent over 5,300 hours flying.
“I have flown with the majority of the pilots that have been in the CAB,” Born said. “Some of the instructors were my students at Fort Rucker. It has just been a great opportunity and I am very honored and humbled to have done this for so long.”
The unreasonably cold weather prevented the traditional aircraft hose down that airfield fire trucks perform as the pilot taxis back to the hangar. That did not stop Lt. Col. John Broam, commander, 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment from giving Born a proper send off. With a champagne bottle in hand, Broam showered Born to celebrate the end of a distinguished career.
Born hand selected his co-pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dan Modesitt, 3rd Squadron, 17th Calvary Regiment because he is the youngest aviator with 300 flight hours in the AH-64 Apache Helicopter.
“It is an honor to fly with the top level aviator that is going out,” Modesitt said. “He is passing all his knowledge down to the youngest aviators so that we can get to his level of experience.”
A fellow aviator that has known Born for over 15 years, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rob Senefeld, brigade master gunner, 3rd CAB congratulated him on his final flight.
“It is ending an amazing career,” Senefeld said. “It’s a final closing, your last flight, bring the aircraft back safely and a job well served. Now we have one less CW5 with 5,000 hours of experience in the Army.”
Date Taken: | 01.08.2016 |
Date Posted: | 01.08.2016 13:59 |
Story ID: | 185911 |
Location: | SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, US |
Web Views: | 2,337 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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