FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Watching a son take up the cause of his father is a rewarding and humbling event, said one father as he pinned Aviation wings on his son at the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Aviator Course graduation ceremony May 19.
Col. Mason W. Thornal, XVIII Airborne Corps and Task Force Bragg chief of staff at Fort Bragg, N.C., and graduation guest speaker, seized the opportunity to address the IERW graduating class at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum in addition to watching his son, 1st Lt. Hunter Thornal, AH-64 Apache pilot, graduate.
“It was an honor and a privilege to be able to be here,” Mason said. “It was extremely emotional to see my son make it this far. I’ve got another son who is an infantry officer, they’re both third-generation Soldiers. The military is a rich tradition in our Family.”
Mason, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, said his son becoming an Apache pilot was a proud moment as well, despite it being a different aircraft from his own.
“I told him that it was his decision and he’s a lot smarter than I am,” he said. “I’m very proud he got selected for the Apache. He had some wonderful instructor pilots that taught him the basics and now it’s time for him to move on before his unit heads downrange next year.”
Hunter said it was a relief to finally be done with flight school, but he’s already preparing for his next assignment. He added that being pinned by his father was an emotional experience for him as well.
“It felt great and it’s a real honor to follow in his footsteps,” he said. “I always had an idea that I wanted to be a pilot, and I made the decision to become an Army pilot while in college.”
His next assignment is at Fort Campbell, Ky., where Mason started his Aviation career.
“It’s a wonderful place for a young Aviator,” Mason said. “I’m very thrilled that he’s going there next.”
Mason told the attendees and graduates that being an Army Aviator is a special calling reserved for only a select few.
“Aviators are a special breed of officer forever bound by the sense of courage, selfless service, loyalty and devotion to duty that few can truly understand,” he said.
He continued by telling the newly graduated officers that he wanted to focus them on the type of officer they should strive to be.
“Institutional training is over for now,” he said. “Many of you will find yourselves prepping for deployment almost immediately. You’re going to leave here and find yourselves in units that have been hard at the business of continual combat deployments. Your fellow (Soldiers) will look to you and wonder what type of officer they’re getting. Your reputation as an officer will be built by the day-to-day example you set in every aspect of your duty performance. You can choose to meet the minimum standard or you can be the standard bearer for your Soldiers to emulate.”
Mason continued by telling the graduates that the Army is a team effort and that they should never forget the basic building blocks of selfless service.
“Your commander will observe your performance in that team area,” he said. “(The commander) will see either a dedicated officer or someone satisfied with basic minimum requirements. The basic building block of selfless service is the commitment of each team member to go a little further, endure a little longer and look a little closer at how he or she can contribute to the team’s effort.”
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