REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (September 16, 2025) – Joel “Parker” Johnson, a U.S. Army Civilian flight test engineer at the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center, is trading his desk for the cockpit after being selected as the top candidate in the highly competitive U.S. Army Warrant Officer Flight Training Program. Out of an applicant pool surpassing 320 candidates nationwide, Johnson ranked number one, embarking on a journey from civilian engineer to Army aviator.
The 26-year-old Huntsville native and graduate of the University of Alabama doesn’t come from a traditional military family, but rather his path to the Army fell into place once he began working on Redstone Arsenal.
“My paternal grandfather was drafted right after World War II, serving a four-year stint with the Army in peacetime. My maternal grandfather was a Department of the Army Civilian, working a career as an engineer. I certainly don’t come from a classic military family, but growing up in Huntsville, you're raised with this appreciation for the armed forces, for service, for NASA, and this overall idea of the government investing money into things that better the world,” explained Johnson when discussing his decision to join the military. “I know I was very fortunate growing up. My parents stayed together and were very involved in my life. I never had to worry about food on the table. I never had to worry about a roof over my head. I got a full ride to college. I'm very aware of how lucky I was. And a lot of that is because I was born in the U.S., and I had access to these privileges that not everyone has. That instilled a lot of values in me, and I always knew I needed to somehow give back.”
Commonly known as ‘Street to Seat’ or “High School to Flight School”, the U.S. Army’s Warrant Officer Flight Training Program involves an application process that can take up to a year. It requires applicants to provide letters of recommendation, academic records, multiple aptitude assessments, medical examinations, and an essay articulating ‘why’ a candidate wants to join the Army and subsequently ‘why’ the Army should select the candidate. If a candidate can make the case that they would be immediate value added to the Army, a slot at flight school awaits them, bypassing the traditional Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) or military academy routes.
As a flight test engineer at RTC’s Aviation Flight Test Directorate, Johnson works side by side with both Active Duty and retired Army Experimental Test Pilots (XPs) that he says have been influential in his journey. The Army’s XP program is a highly selective opportunity for Army aviators to attend the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, and ultimately shift their career focus toward test and evaluation of new and improved aviation systems. As a surprise to no one, becoming an XP is Johnson’s ultimate career dream.
“It's cliche, but I often think about what JFK said: ‘We do things not because they are easy. We do things because they are hard.’ And I think what it would feel like to one day walk back into this organization, to find the old desk that I used to sit at as an engineer, and I will have that full circle moment of where my journey has taken me,” explained Johnson. “This is the organization that gave me the foundation, that kind of raised me up, to pursue what I really wanted to do, and molded me into who I really wanted to be.”
Pictured from left: Joey Johnson, Father, Presley Johnson, Brother, Pam Johnson, Mother, Haley Rhoden, Girlfriend, Parker Johnson, RTC flight test engineer and new Army Warrant Officer Candidate, CW3 Kyle Gaylor, RTC XP, Maj. Chris Smith, RTC XP, Chris Reid, Army Civilian XP, and Todd Buller, Army Civilian XP.
VIEW ORIGINAL
Several of his Army XP teammates provided glowing recommendation letters for his application packet.
From Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joe Fay’s recommendation letter: “Just as a Warrant Officer strives to be a subject matter expert amongst his/her peers, Parker has strived to be a subject matter expert amongst his engineering cohort. He has been designated as the unit trainer for new Flight Test Engineers, teaching mission planning processes, aviation planning software, and the integration of electronic flight bags. In addition to his work as a Flight Test Engineer, Parker has shown commitment to his own proficiency as an aviator. Having earned his private pilot’s license, instrument rating, complex aircraft endorsement, and high-performance aircraft endorsement, Parker exemplifies the work ethic, integrity, and professionalism that will be expected of him as an Army Aviation Warrant Officer.”
From CW4 Brent Gregory: “There is not a more humble, competent, nor capable FTE within the Army Aviation Flight Test Directorate. As a result of superior skills and professionalism as an FTE, he has been chosen ahead of his peers to attend multiple FTE courses at the United States Navy Test Pilot School. After each course, he has passed on the knowledge learned to his fellow FTEs. Parker’s passion for aviation is not limited to his job as an FTE. Over the last year he has continued to pursue his dreams of aviation. Parker earned both his airplane private pilot certificate, airplane instrument rating, and has amassed more than 200 flight hours as a private pilot with Instrument rating. His selfless service mindset is evident in his flying as well. During the Hurricane Helene relief efforts in Eastern North Carolina, Parker volunteered his time and expertise to fly sorties delivering emergency aid and supplies to communities in need. He has also used his time and resources to fly relatives to be with loved ones in times of need.”
The next step for Johnson is to attend basic training in February of 2026. Then he will move on to Warrant Officer Candidate School and then Flight School. The path won’t be easy but he has assured his parents, friends, and even colleagues, he is up for the challenge.
“I've had some really unique experiences here. I’ve spent two weeks at a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation, enduring long days in the woods and mud, side-by-side with soldiers. I’ve made trips to Ft. Campbell, working and flying with the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at their own facilities. So even though a lot of my time has been in this organization, which is considered kind of the unicorn of the Army. I have been able to go out and get some of those touch points with various units” explained Johnson, “Honestly, never once did I see anything that turned me away. All it did was pique my curiosity of what else was out there”.
The U.S. Army Redstone Test Center is located on Redstone Arsenal and is a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command. RTC provides technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, and capabilities to plan, conduct, analyze, and report the results of tests on missile and aviation systems, sensors, subsystems and components.
Social Sharing