"I wish to be an Air Force pilot for a day."

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WISH PERSPECTIVE

I wish to be an Air Force pilot for a day (Noah’s Aim High Wish)

“I wish to be an Air Force pilot for a day”

It’s not just any day that an air national guard base pauses all other responsibilities to host one guest, but that is what they did for 15-year-old Noah. Noah has had a passion for the U.S. Air Force and fighter jets since the day he watched his first Air Force documentary. Since then, he has watched hours of Air Force and fighter jet documentaries and he has dreams of one day serving in the Air Force.

Learning more about F-16s and fighter jets is what helps him to pass the time when he’s unable to do activities that other kids his age can do. Noah was born prematurely and spent 29 weeks in the Pediatric ICU, has been sedated over 75 times and has had over 15,000 breathing treatments. When Noah qualified for a wish, it took no time for him to exclaim, “I want to fly in an F-16!” Noah’s mom agreed by saying, “This would be Noah’s flight of freedom. Freedom from all of his doctors’ visits and treatments.”

The wish planning began when our Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana chapter engaged the 114th Fighter Wing Air National Guard base at Joe Foss Field. LtCol Noble took the lead on planning Noah’s wish day. He wrote up an itinerary, arranged for civilians to be on the base and briefed the airmen on base before the wish day. This coordination was no small feat, but the airmen were more than willing to spend a day making Noah’s wish come true in the biggest way possible.

The airmen were more than willing to spend a day making Noah’s wish come true.

LtCol Noble customized a flight suit for Noah with his name embroidered on it. Noah toured the base, with airmen stationed at each stop who had prepared to educate him on their job. They were impressed with the knowledge that Noah already had from all the documentaries he had watched. Around lunchtime, Noah’s favorite food of pizza was delivered to the entrance of the base and carried to the lunchroom for all to enjoy together.

It was then time for Noah to suit up in his G-suit and helmet and head over to the briefing room where Noah would learn how to enter the F-16, how to communicate with other pilots on the radio and how to make sure he was buckled in safely. You could feel the excitement building as LtCol Noble, Noah, Noah’s family and some of the airmen marched outside toward a line of F-16s. Noah boarded the aircraft, and his brother used his newly-learned hand signals to usher the plane down the runway. LtCol Noble and Noah taxied in the F-16 and parked on the other end of the base. Meanwhile, multiple F-16s took off to do an air show for Noah. Another group of airmen were instructed to give Noah’s family a ride to where Noah would exit the plane. Every person on base knew exactly where they needed to be without missing a beat.

Noah, 15 respiratory disorder

As Noah carefully exited the F-16, he looked up and saw that every single person on the base had lined up along the building and they began to applaud him while others saluted him. A huge smile spread across Noah’s face as he received

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high fives and handshakes from those near him, and tears rolled down his mom’s face. It was an incredible moment to watch the men and women who bravely serve our country applaud Noah, who had endured an intense medical journey in his fifteen years.

LtCol Noble and the rest of the airmen on base concluded Noah’s wish day with a naming ceremony where he was presented with a plaque, a United States flag and other gifts from the 114th Fighter Wing Air National Guard base. They treated Noah’s wish day as if they were on a mission to make sure that his wish day was perfect and that this young man had the time of his life. Noah and his family were taken care of every step of the way, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to watch these men and women serve their country in such a unique way. According to Noah’s mom, he has spoken of his wish every day since! She said, “I can tell you that Noah’s entire wish day was way beyond our expectations, and he tells people that it was the best day of his life so far!” Noah’s wish will forever leave an impact on him and his family.

The 114th Fighter Wing Air National Guard base held a naming ceremony for Noah.