Air Force's precision team inspires students
By Kirsten Ballard
Published in News on May 17, 2015 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Staff Sgt. Conrad Nelson speaks about his job during a motivational visit from the Air Force Thunderbirds at Rosewood High School Friday.
Why is the five upside down?
What happens if a Thunderbird pilot sneezes while flying?
The students of Rosewood High School peppered the Air Force's elite aerial demonstration team with questions during an assembly Friday morning.
The pilots explained that the senior solo pilot, No. 5, is the upside down plane during some of the formations, making the five right side up during the show.
But the sneeze question made them pause and chuckle.
The answer was to pull out of formation if he felt a sneeze coming.
The Thunderbird presentation included some facts about the jets and skills the pilots needed to perform, a video presentation on the history of the Thunderbirds and some inspiration for the students.
Sgt. Dinah Tootle, an ROTC instructor at Rosewood, was all smiles at the presentation.
"This is wonderful," she said. "We are so honored that they chose Rosewood High School."
The main theme was "Why have the Thunderbirds?"
The Thunderbirds are a recruiting tool for the Air Force.
"Why have a recruiting squadron?" Curtis asked. "We're a valuable tool."
The pilots, crew chiefs and support staff took turns telling the students about their personal experiences in the Air Force and giving some life advice.
1st Sgt. Tania Mitchell joined the Air Force to help out her single-parent mother.
"The Air Force trains you, pays you and will pay for you to go to school," she said. "It is limitless travel."
She urged the students to not stress if they did not know what they wanted to do.
But Maj. Darrick Lee, the team's public affairs officer, said he did not care what they wanted to do.
"That's an annoying question," he said. "Who cares what you want to be? What are you working to be?"
Lee's advice was for the students to begin laying out plans, and making progress to complete their goals.
Lee spent 22 years in the military, documenting jets and disseminating information. He was an example to the students that the Air Force is more than pilots and mechanics. His job is writing, taking pictures and creating graphics.
Sgt. Conrad Nelson has been a crew chief for seven years. Giving an inspirational speech as a crew chief is something he said would never happen without the Thunderbirds.
He echoed the thoughts of high school students everywhere when he asked, "When am I going to use this in the future? History, dates, times?"
But he urged the students to learn everything they can while still in school.
"You learn the skill of learning in high school," he said.
After the presentation, the Thunderbird pilots and crew signed autographs and took photos with the students.
For Curtis, though, the answer to the purpose of the Thunderbirds is an emotional one.
"But why have the Thunderbirds?" Curtis asked at the end of the presentation. "It's the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when those planes fly overhead. It's the pride of being part of the greatest nation of free people in the world."