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ATLANTIC OCEAN — Lt. Allyson Merki, from Brunswick, Maine, assigned to Training Air Wing (TAW) 2, qualified for her “Wings of Gold,” aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), Sept. 12.
Merki, who looks up to her father, wanted to join the Navy as he did. Merki’s father served in the Navy as an aviation electronics technician.
“My dad served at [Naval Air Station] Brunswick, [Maine] and was in the Navy for 21 years,” said Merki. “My family never pressured me to be in the Navy, I really looked up to my dad. My parents have been very supportive the whole way through this and I owe them a lot.”
Ford qualified 27 student Naval aviator assigned to Chief of Naval Air Training Command (CNATRA) during Ford’s twelfth Independent Steaming Event (ISE).
“I went to the Naval Academy and I got exposure to the jobs I could choose from, and every pilot I met was really nice and happy,” said Merki. “It seemed like a very rewarding skill to have, so I decided to go to flight school. I started flight school in 2017.”
Navy pilots have the option of either flying jets or helicopters when they go through Navy flight school.
“I wasn’t sure what kind of pilot I wanted to be,” said Merki. “I was on the ice hockey team at the Naval Academy, and my coach, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Peter Reitmeyer, pushed me when I had doubts. He flew jets and wanted me to go that route, as well. I didn’t know if I could do it, but he said he had no doubts that I could. Behind my dad, he’s been my biggest supporter.”
TAW-2, attached to CNATRA, embarked Ford Sept. 10 to qualify pilots to earn their wings before sending them out to squadrons.
“When I told Reitmeyer that I was going to be on this underway he gave me a pep talk and gave me lots of fatherly support,” said Merki. “I called my dad and he told me to be very respectful of the boat and that the boat has a lot of people doing their jobs, and to be respectful all around.”
The last part of flight training for pilots is to safely and consistently land aboard an aircraft carrier that’s out to sea. Training to land on a carrier includes, but is not limited to, bomb dropping training, flying in formation and basic fighting.
“It was very surreal when I qualified,” said Merki. “I feel extremely grateful for everyone who helped me on the way, including my trainers and landing signal officers. I really couldn’t have done it without my supporting husband, Cole Merki. My husband, Reitmeyer, and his wife Julie, and my mom and dad are who I owe all this to.”
Merki departs to head to her next command. She hopes it will be in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier qualifications.
For more news from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN78
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.29.2020 07:51 |
| Story ID: | 379296 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 242 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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