Chapter 2

1000 Thursday 19 January Kariwase John Davis Sr.

As I drove the boys’ home, I asked what their plans were. All said that they would like to find a University that would allow us to late register for our MS Programs. I said I have received a notice from an Air Service Company looking for pilots. One of the bonuses offered was company paid for classes at Rensselaer Poly-Technical Institute. When we get home, I could call them and ask if their people could help you get in. All agreed it was worth a try.

Kariwase

Just after 1000 my phone rang, it was George Paris what can I do for you today” Mr. Paris? Well, I have a call from an AG Pilot who has seen our looking for pilots’ message, John Davis Sr. His two youngest sons and Two foster sons were medical discharged from the Military on Wednesday with a Three- day notice and would like to start Graduate School. Will you talk to him on the Wolverine Field line 1? He is offering us Four Commercial Multi Engine pilots, one Jet rated and all CFI. I should have known it would lead to trouble. No good deed goes unpunished.

Sure, George, Dr, Kariwase Pierce here who am I speaking with? The man answered John Davis Sr owner of Northern Alabama Air Agriculture.

He replied, “You said” Dr Kariwase Pierce he asked. Yes, on the faculty of Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute how can I help you?

John Davis Sr

The Military medically discharged my youngest boys Jackson, Jefferson, foster boys Martinez, and Alexander, yesterday with a Three-day notice. They were awarded a Fifty precent disability and would like to start Graduate School. I know everything at RPI has closed but they do not want to sit around waiting for the next semester.

They have BS Degrees and want to go to get Masters. They have completed their BS work well recovering from combat injuries and have now passed their Class I Flight Physicals.

Jefferson will work towards an MS in Supply Chain Management and MS in Information Systems Management. He was an assistant warehouse chief with MALS 14 Dragons in the Marines.

Jackson will work towards an MS in Materials Engineering and MS in Aerospace Engineering He was A Drone Pilot (RQ-7Bv2 Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System Operator) with MUV-2 Night Owls.

Martinez was a Navy Corpsman. His BS is in Environmental Health Engineering. He wants to earn an MS and to make sure he has no holes in his BS as the Navy presented it to him in a rush.

Alexander was an A-10 Wart Hog GAU-8 Avenger 30-mm seven-barrel Gatling-type cannon maintenance armor, his BS is in Robotic Engineering and will work towards his MS. He has picked up a multi engine jet rating and CFI.

All wounded in combat, and each awarded a Service Cross for valor in combat. Well, recovering from their wounds they earned their BSs through military credits, extension Universities and online courses. Can you help them to get into RPI? I know classes started last Monday and RPI has closed admission, but they received there discharged Wednesday with a Three-day notice and got home yesterday.

They do not want to waste a semester because the Government cannot get its act together.

Kariwase

My husband is Dr. Robert Pierce Sr., also on the RPI faculty. He is currently a Major General in the United States Army. He is the Commanding Officer of an operation that is based at our Airfield MCAS Wolverine Field. I cannot discuss the operation over an unsecured line. If the boys fly in tomorrow, it will be into an active military operation.

We would talk to all four of them in a video phone interview at 1800 hours, our time, this evening. If we feel we can help, we will. I do think we can help them. Do they have a way to Fly up here tomorrow and talk with our people about a flying job in the morning and we will try to do RPI interviews in the afternoon.

If RPI does not work out and they do not wish to fly for us, they will be back before Monday afternoon. We will pay for the fuel round trip, pay each Five hundred for their time. We will also provide food, lodging, and one set of wheels, well they are here.

Did any of the young men have a security clearance well on active duty? What would they fly, and what is their current medical condition, flight status, endorsements, and ratings.

John Davis Sr.

You would have to talk to them as I have not reviewed their paperwork yet, but I will before anyone of them flies one of my planes. If one is Qualified, I will allow them to fly my Pilatus PC-12/47E.

I know they all have current Commercial Pilot License, Type Rating, Instrument Rating, multi- engine rating and just passed a Level I medical and I believe all had a security clearance well in service.

They all have advanced flight training. The services used it as an inducement in trying to get them to except Officer Commissions.

Kariwase

I need Service Numbers, DD-214, GRE, SATs, ACTs, Transcripts, FAA endorsements, and Aircraft Type ratings for all four. Can you fax or email them to me ASAP? I am sending my phone number and email address to your phone. And ASAP means right now! The clock is ticking. Do they play instruments?

John Davis Sr.

Yes, Jeff plays a Hawaiian Steel Guitar, Jackson a string base, BSX Bass Allegro 5- String Acoustic-Electric Upright Bass, Mart a Keyboard, and Alex the Drums. As a family We do Blue Grass, Texas Swing, and Forty’s/ Fifties’ Country. I have them send you the information you have requested ASAP. And hung up the phone.

Turning to the boys, boys give your mother your Service Numbers, DD-214, GRE, SATs, ACTs, Transcripts, Flight Physicals, FFA Ratings, and Aircraft Type ratings. A Dr. Kariwase Pierce, who is Faculty Member at RPI, wishes to see them and if she believes she can help you along with her Husband Dr. Robert Pierce. They will do a video interview this evening at 1800 EDT about a job offer and help to get you into school. If you pass the phone interview, you fly to their field Wolverine Field, Wappinger Nation in the morning for flight job interviews late morning and RPI the afternoon. So, get the stuff together I have a feeling this is part of the interview. Here is the number.

Kariwase

Seven minutes later Karin, my administrative assistant knocked on my door. She is Six years older than me and working on a MA in English. We have better benefits and pay than RPI, but I am her boss. People who work for Wolverine Clan Industries Inc. under my direct control call me K, as does Robert, K these just arrived for you. Thank-You Karin.

They passed the first test under Fifteen minutes, impressive that they had it sent in under Five.

Now let us see what we have:

SSgt Jefferson Alexander Davis USMC DD-214 Three years Eight months Eleven days service.

Navy Cross, Purple Heart w/ 3 bronze stars, Navy Commendation Medal, National Defense Medal, War on Terrorism Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon. Fifty Percent Medical Discharge.

BS in Supply Chain Management and BS in Information Systems Management, GRE 168 SATs: Math 800, EBRW 800; ACT: English 30.4, Math 30.9, Reading 31.1, Science Composite 31.2; GPA 4.0

Air Application Certificate, PPL, IR, CPL, CMEL, CMEL (JET), CFI, and Power Lift.

Aircraft Type Certified: Cessna 172S Skyhawk, Beechcraft King Air 350ER Twin, AT-504, AT- 802, PC-12/47E, Bell TH-57, Bell UH-1Y, and V-22 Osprey.

SSgt Jackson Andrew Davis USMC DD-214 Three years Eight months Eleven days service.

Navy Cross, Purple Heart w/ 3 bronze stars, Navy Achievement Medal w/ bronze stars, National Defense Medal, War on Terrorism Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon. Fifty Percent Medical Discharge.

BS in Materials Engineering and BS in Aerospace Engineering GRE 167 SATs: Math 800, EBRW 800; ACT: English 30.1, Math 31.2, Reading 31.1, Science Composite 31.2; GPA. 4.0.

Air Application Certificate, PPL, IR, CPL, CMEL, CMEL (JET), CFI, and Power Lift Aircraft Type Certified: Cessna 172S Skyhawk, Beechcraft King Air 350ER Twin, AT-504, AT-802, PC-12/47E, Bell TH-57, Bell UH-1Y, and V-22 Osprey.

HM1 Martinez Sanchez Davis USN DD-214 Three years Eight months Eleven days service.

Navy Cross, Purple Heart w/ 4 bronze stars, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal, War on Terrorism Medal, Combat Action Ribbon. Fifty Percent Medical Discharge.

BS is in Environmental Health Engineering and BS Chemistry GRE 170 SATs: Math 800, EBRW 800; ACT: English 30.2, Math 31.3, Reading 31.2, Science Composite 31.4; GPA. 4.0.

Air Application Certificate, PPL, IR, CPL, CMEL, and CFI

Aircraft Type Certified: Cessna 172S Skyhawk, Beechcraft King Air 350ER Twin, AT-504, AT- 802, PC-12/47E, Bell TH-57, Bell UH-1Y, and V-22 Osprey.

TSgt Alexander Boone Davis USAF DD-214 Three years Eight months Eleven days service. Air Force Cross, Purple Heart w/ 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal, War on Terrorism Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon.

Fifty Percent Medical Discharge.

BS is in Robotic Engineering and BS Mathematics GRE 169 SATs: Math 800, EBRW 800; ACT: English 30.3, Math 31.5, Reading 31.1, Science Composite 31.2; GPA. 4.0.

Air Application Certificate, PPL, IR, CPL, CMEL, CMEL (JET), and CFI

Aircraft Type Certified: Cessna 172S Skyhawk, Beechcraft King Air 350E Twin, AT-504, AT- 802, PC-12/47E, T-1A Jayhawk and Northrop T-38 Talon.

Robert

K called me and said we need to find housing and weekend wheels for Four 23-year-old disabled Service Members looking to get into RPI. All have current Commercial Pilot Licenses, Type Ratings, Instrument Ratings, multi-engine ratings, and fly Air Tractors, Jefferson was a Supply Clerk, Jackson was a Drone Pilot, Mart a Corpsman, and Alex an A-10 gatling cannon armor. We have a video conference with them at 1800 hours and if we think we can help or give them a job they will fly here tomorrow in their Pilatus PC-12/47E. If nothing works out, they fly home on Sunday, and we pay their expenses and Five Hundred Each. There dad is an Ag pilot who called George to ask for help to get the boys into RPI Graduate School late. What has George gotten us into, if had known the future I would have shot him and them.

I called George and asked, “do you have any idea what you are doing? He replied you said beat the bushes for qualified pilots. They popped up from a family operation in Alabama. All the young men have the ratings we want and are smart enough to run with this crowd.

I replied if you and others keep doing things like this, I will never get her and the girls to slow down. Can you not find any old happily married pilots? Or great pilots who just want to fly, not interested in Engineering.

George replied to that Yea, Robert, Sir, slow down, like that is really going to happen! Mabey, next time I will call you first before I invoke the K. I replied. Please do, you are killing me.

I found out later that my girls on hearing of the young men asked K what do they look like, are they hansom, where will they be staying, what are they studding, will they go to classes with us, will they be part of our protection detail? All questions neither her nor I wanted to answer.