Article Contributed on: 6/4/2009 10:50:36 PM
Goodbye 2009
Last week the Class of 2009 graduated from the Air Force Academy. 1000 fresh new Lieutenants threw their caps into the air as the Thunderbirds roared overhead. As I watched the Thunderbirds streak across the sky I reflected on everything that had happened to me over the last year.
I thought about some of the people I had met the past year, mostly about the ones that in an hour would be gone forever. A lot of the Firsties (now Lt's.) had made quite an impact on me. They were people who I wish I could show next year's freshman and say, "Look at that guy, that's who you should try and be like."
One man who left a huge mark on me was Fred Tarantino. He was selected in his junior year to join the coveted ranks of the Air Force Combat Search and Rescue teams. Fred isn't a big guy, 5' 7" at the most, and a pretty quiet one too. Someone you could walk by and never even notice. He had a tough work ethic (as anyone who is/was in Special Forces has) but he was also one of the funniest guys I have ever met. He once asked, quite seriously, "Is it not, or is it...is...theoretically possible to land on the sun at night?"
I remember one time I was working out with him and his choice of profession was brought up. I asked him why he chose to become a Combat Rescue Officer. He said that he thought saving people was a noble and right thing to do. I thought about this while we did some more pull-ups, and then I asked him if he was scared knowing that he was in the Air Force's deadliest profession and would probably be shot and possibly killed. He said, without a moment's pause, that he was scared but it wasn't going to stop him because regardless of his personal safety, going in and saving someone was the right thing to do. Wow, a man 23 years old was fully prepared to give his life for someone else. That man is already a hero in my book, and should I ever need to be rescued I want him coming to get me.
Casey Masters was another good man. He was one of those guys who believed that unless it specifically said you could not do it, than it was fair game. I never saw him once get in trouble but I know that he liked to dance the boundaries. Immediately after Basic Casey tasked the freshman with stealing the Cadet Wing Commanders door......About two days later he was presented with the door. While we did get our butts kicked for that incident Casey stood behind us the whole time, even diverting some punishment onto him. He was a great guy, his character was unquestionable and he'd give you the shirt off his back without a moment's pause. He's a guy that will be known across the Air Force as someone who takes good care of his men, rules be damned.
Anthony Ortiz probably left one of the most substantial marks on me. Anthony was a tad on the crazy side, and almost never predictable. While I had the fortune of knowing him, he never had a bad day, there was always some reason to be happy whether he just got his airsoft rifle fixed, or his favorite band Nightwish was coming to town. Anthony introduced me to the sport of airsoft, it's like paintball but with BB's, and much more fun. He was naturally gifted with situational awareness that makes psychics jealous. He took me under his wing and taught me almost everything he knew about the sport, and we rapidly became battle buddies at competitions. Anthony enjoyed getting off the beaten path and making his own. He will probably be the next Colonel John Boyd and change the Air Force, another rules be damned kind of man.
It was strange standing in the hall that afternoon as many of the people I had lived with and grown close to simply vanished. I wish they had not left, I wish I could show them to the new freshman and tell them that these guys were some of the best, these guys are who they should model themselves after. But they're gone, so now I'll tell their stories and do my best to carry on their legacy.