Photo By Senior Airman Richard Hayes | U.S. Air Force Maj. David James Balmer, 477th Fighter Group F-22 pilot and Edward...... read more read more
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Being in a financial advisor’s office isn’t supposed to be an exciting experience. Why would it? Your financial advisor is supposed to be good with numbers, clean-cut and full of information about stocks, bonds, and options. An exciting financial advisor might make a volatile decision with your savings — and that’s no good.
But in Anchorage, Alaska, financial advisor David James Balmer is quite exciting in the most unique sense of the word. Photos of his family decorate his desk, along with salmon-fishing paraphernalia and a model F-22 Raptor. What sets Balmer apart from other financial advisors? That model F-22.
While Balmer still meets the above financial advisor criterion — good with numbers, clean-cut and full of info on stocks, bonds, and options — what makes him genuinely one-of-a-kind is his weekend title: U.S. Air Force Maj. David James Balmer, F-22 pilot.
“I wanted to fly fighter jets since I was 12 years old; that was always my dream. I’ve been a reservist for about four and a half years, and I was active duty for 12,” Balmer said. “I [also] wanted to work with Edward Jones. My dad has been an Edward Jones financial advisor for almost 25 years. My brother-in-law is in his seventh year and my brother is just starting as well.”
Technically Balmer didn’t break the family legacy, but he did take a minor scenic detour.
“Ideally, I come in about once a week and do F-22 training missions in either the jet or the sim[ulator],” he said. “[Flying and finance] are surprisingly well-suited for each other.
“It’s much more than just finance. It’s about sitting down with people and really helping them meet their goals, and so I think the service I’ve experienced in the Air Force — serving people, is very relatable here in Edward Jones and I get to do the same thing in both jobs.”
Balmer spoke about a three-step process he learned from flying the F-22 and how he uses it when instructing new pilots.
“First you need to figure out exactly what happened,” Balmer said. “We call it finding the focus point of where we can improve. So you need to take time to ask questions of your students. From there you come up with a game plan of how to fix things next time, and then the third step is to follow up over the years and continue with your students to make them better.”
Balmer has translated that very same three-step process into the finance world.
“Well I’m finding here with finance it’s exactly the same thing. We build [clients] strategies that are personal to them. Much like a game plan for how to fly the F-22 better, it’s now a strategy for how we help you meet your long-term financial goals.”
Balmer could’ve gotten out of the Air Force altogether to pursue his civilian career. Sure, it would’ve been easier on his family, but that’s not his style. Service is important to him and his family.
“The Reserves gave us the opportunity to keep serving, and I really mean that. I think that its important to me to feel like I’m part of something bigger,” he said. “To be honest, military life is tough on families, but it can also be very rewarding. You get stationed in Germany or Alaska and you’re a little bit away from your near and immediate family, so you develop family-type friendships with the people around you very quickly.”
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Rogers, 3rd Operations Support Squadron commander, is one of the close friends Balmer made early on in his career. Rogers served with Balmer when he was active duty, and does now as a Reservist.
“[Maj.] Balmer is a lead-from-the-front kind of warrior, both as a Reservist and while on active duty. Throughout all the flying we've done together, he has continually proven himself as precise and lethal, which are essential skills for a fighter pilot,” Rogers said. “His experiences have undoubtedly made him a better communicator and more effective in his civilian occupation.”
Balancing military and civilian life can be hard on your career, and even harder on your family, but Balmer never forgets to count his blessings.
“I think I’ve been blessed on both fronts. The experiences I’ve had, and continue to have, in the Air Force are incredible,” he said. “I’m also grateful for Edward Jones and the opportunities it provides, so I think luck is the wrong word. I think blessed is the absolute right word, and I feel that every day.”
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.05.2018 14:31 |
| Story ID: | 267394 |
| Location: | JBER, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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