85th Flying Training Squadron participates in first “Wings for Warriors” event > Air Education and Training Command > Article Display

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas —  

The eighty fifth Flying Coaching Squadron (FTS) “Tigers”, participated in Laughlin’s first ever “Wings for Warriors” outreach program with the Texas Kids’s Hospital (TCH) on the Texas Medical Heart in Houston Texas, Nov 15, 2024.  

U.S. Air Pressure Capts. Charles Blum and Tyler Konek, eighty fifth FTS, teacher pilots (IPs), led a bunch of 4 T-6 Nation IPs to unfold happiness and vacation cheer with sufferers, households and school at TCH.   

“We wished to spark the beginning of the vacation season by way of honoring younger warriors, who’re combating by way of a number of the most tough realities conceivable, together with most cancers and incurable diseases.” mentioned Blum.  

The pilots met and bonded with over 100 sufferers and their households, beginning with a big group session on the hospital’s leisure house “The Zone.” They visited with sufferers from all over the world with quite a few medical hardships and traveled room-to-room to speak with sufferers of the TCH Most cancers Heart.  

“It is heartwarming to know that the vacation cheer reached the kids and workers on the Texas Kids’s Hospital,” mentioned Lt. Col. Imran Khan, eighty fifth FTS Commander. “Giving again to the neighborhood in such significant methods is a testomony to the caring spirit of our Teacher Pilots and Group XL.”. 

The IPs constructed T6 Lego replicas, painted toy plane, and crammed out Air Pressure plane coloring books with the sufferers, offering encouragement and a possibility to hear and be taught from affected person’s tales.  

“The go to impacted the sufferers in a particularly constructive manner,” mentioned Konek. “The kid life program coordinators at TCH really commented and emphasised how excited the youngsters had been to see us, and the way a lot the door-to-door visits boosted their morale, particularly those that had lately acquired remedy.”   

All through the go to, sufferers had been made “Honorary Tigers” and even acquired flight go well with nametapes and squadron morale gear. 

“The sufferers completely appreciated getting their very own “Honorary Tiger” patches, they usually had been enthusiastic about turning into part of the 85 FTS Tiger Household,” mentioned Blum. 

The eighty fifth FTS exemplified the Air Pressure’s Core Worth of “Service Earlier than Self” in offering a possibility to carry pleasure to sufferers and households whose lives have been considerably impacted by hardships. The “Wings for Warriors” occasion created a possibility for private progress and improvement in a setting exterior of the coaching squadron by way of volunteer alternatives and constructive interactions with the neighborhood to encourage perseverance within the subsequent technology. 

“Studying in regards to the objectives and desires of every of the sufferers by way of one-on-one interactions was extremely impactful,” mentioned Blum. “Listening to their tales and sharing tangible experiences with them helped showcase the braveness and perseverance of every affected person. We allow them to know we’re combating together with them. I’ll always remember this expertise, and I’ll take these reminiscences all through the remainder of my life.”