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Show 88th ngnter Wing motivates ioc student to go from acadermic irmme to success A By I Lt. Erin Shuler 388th FW Public Affairs Office What motivates a student to do well in school? For some perhaps a new set of roller blades, an allowance increase or a day out with friends. For one local student, the prospect of spending a day with an Air Force fighter pilot was enough motivation for him to go from an academic struggle to success. Thanks to the support of the 388th Fighter Wing, old Dominic Welch will be entering ninth grade this fall with a whole new outlook on school and the importance of making the grades. Almost a year ago, Dominic's mother, with the help of his school, was desperately trying to find a way to encourage him to improve his academic performance. "We were trying to find an incentive, something for Dominic to reach for," said Ms. Liz Welch. Knowing her son would spend hours watching the Air Force jets fly over their Layton home, and that his goal was to one day become a fighter pilot, Dominic's mom had an 14-ye- ar idea. I I :? I ill v' v jr r - , immmmmm ' p : - K t i MsmmsmsmA -it-- 'y ;1! , -- ji,v v " .......... 1 1 gmqggii f ,M, I - - mmmmmmm?- fe-- j ' ' I t ! M lilililiiiiia. , "Ms. Welch called me and asked if there was anything I could do to possibly encourage Dominic to improve his performance in school," said Col. Mike Hostage, 388th Fighter Wing commander. "So, I talked with Dominic and explained to him how important doing well in school was to his goal of one day becoming a pilot, and I also made him a promise." That promise was very straightforward. If Dominic showed marked improvement in his grades at school, then the 3 8 8th F W would host him for a day to shadow F-- 1 6 pilot. "I really had no idea if the promise I made had been successful in motivating Dominic academically," said Colonel Hostage. "Then, during the Air Show in June, almost a year after I had talked with him, he approached me with some great news." Dominic had come home with the best report card he had received in years. So, Colonel Hostage arranged with Ms. Welch for Dominic to come out and spend a day with the 42 1 st Fighter Squadron. His itinerary included shadowing 6 pilot Capt. mission brief and Mark Proulx during his Then Dominic went up into the air traffic control tower to watch Capt. Proulx launch. Then, back at the squadron, Capt. James Thompson introduced Dominic to the game ofCrud. "My favorite part of the day was playing games with the pilots," said Dominic, who was able to hold his own during the highly charged Crud game. F-1- walk-aroun- pre-flig- ht d. f1 Sffi Photo by Matt Lohr On their way out to the flightline, Capt. Mark Proulx, 42 st Fighter Squadron demonstration pilot, shows Dominic Welch how to insert foam ear plugs into his ears. 1 Then it was off to lunch with Colonel Hostage and the 388th Fighter Wing, vice commander, Colonel Ron Oholendt "Colonel Hostage made some great points to Dominic," said Ms. Welch. "He told him that he must set goals and if he didn't quite make them 100 percent, realize the improvement, re-sthe goal and then try again." Captain Proulx impressed upon Dominic that it takes a lot of hard work' in school to become a fighter pilot. He took every opportunity possible during his time with Dominic to encourage him to work hard towards his goals but also to have fun in the process. According to Dominic, the day spent with the 421st FS went by too fast. "My mom came way to early," he said. "Being a pilot really is something I want to do. I want to fly And now Dominic believes he knows what he has to do to reach that goal. et s." "I have to get good grades, I have to go to college and get a degree, then I will have to go to pilot school and train," Dominic said. As Capt. Proulx explained being a fighter pilot means you never stop studying and training. "Capt Proulx said he learns something every single day," Dominic continued. According to Ms. Welch, the day spent with the 388th FW worked to motivate Dominic to continue his success in school and for that she is grateful. "I have a lot of appreciation for all the people who took the time to help a child from the community they didn't even know," said Ms. Welch. When Dormnic returned home from his day with the 388th FW, he said something his mother never thought she would hear. Dominic said that he was excited for school to start. dollars House cuts Force Air Raptor plans, Despite By Staff Sgt. Michael Dorsey Air Force Print News Committee cut $ 1 .8 billion from the F-procurement budget and directed those funds to other programs. According to pilots in the field, the time is now for on line. --bringing the F-22 WASHINGTO- N- As Congress recommends slicing funds from the 2 Raptor program, the Air Force is standing fast on its view that obtaining the air superiority fighter remains a necessity. "Air superiority is our job one," Maj. Gen. Bruce Carlson, director of Air Force operational requirements, said in a Pentagon press conference July 15, the day before the House Appropriations Committee affirmed its F-2- next-generati- on on Capisubcommittee's proposed budget cut for the F-tol Hill. has a series of characteristics that bring to "The F-the battlefield the capability to win and dominate both in the air and on the ground," he added. General Carlson said the Raptor achieves air dominance because of its ability to attack deep in enemy terridistance that puts tory and strike critical targets from a fewer lives in danger. In addition to its stealth technology, the to fly out of reach supercruise speed allows the aircraft missiles and other air defense of mobile surface-to-a- ir systems. "We're not buying this airplane to win a war in 2000, said General Carlson, explaining the aircraft supports the "We're buying it for military's Joint Vision 2010 concept. 2010 to 2030 and beyond." more conBut representatives on Capitol Hill are program than the cerned with the price tag of the F-- 22 -- "It's absolutely vital,". said Lt. Colonel Brian Dickerson, who believes the Air Force is losing its edge. "The 5 probably hurt the program because it's done so well. It F-1- i has ' periority, but there are threats - 22 . 22 ir F-- 15 15 F-2- 2," 15 F-1- 22 y. su- 22 F-2- 2's air-to-a- since its inception. All the more reason why Maj. David Timm, weapons and tactics chief at Langley 's 1st Fighter Wing, says it time to turn to a new aircraft. they fixed and made "Everything wrong with the F-said Major Timm, who has flown the better in the F-for 16 years. "It's the same thing the Air Force did rolls three The F-with the F-- 4 by bringing in the 5. aircraft (functions) into one (aircraft) electronic warfare, suppression of enemy air defenses and air superior-lt100 Pratt Whitney engines have been in the plane's advanced capabilities. The House Appropriations on the ground that can c h a 1 -- lenge the aircraft." Air force Photo Colonel Dickerson, operations officer for the 94th Fighter Squadis an old ron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., said the F-and tired aircraft. "The older a plane gets, the harder it is to get parts, and the training suffers," he said. "The number one thing that keeps us on top is the number one thing that's going away." Falcon Colonel Dickerson added that while the F-its has seen several engine variations throughout life, F- 15 16 budget could spell the end of the Cutting the F-program. At the very least, it would push the aircraft's initial operating capability back from 2005 to 2007 and add $6.5 billion to the program's cost. At a cost of $ 1 87 million apiece, the Air Force plans to to replace the F-- 1 5 as their top fighter buy a total of 339 s, the Air aircraft When the program began in the Force projected buying more than 700 Review slimmed that number down to The Bottom-U- p 442 before the 1998 Quadrennial Defense Review took it down to the current figure of 339. can do the job Air Force officials say the aging F-advances in from risk today, However, it faces increasing aircraft and missile technology available to potential enemies around the world. on the other hand, will combine stealth and The 2, supercruise with integrated avionics and precision to give pilots unparalleled air superiority for the next three decades. General Carlson said that's why it is the Air Force's number one modernization priority. 22 F-2- 2s mid-1980- F-2- 2s. 15 F-2- |