The world looks different from 41,000 feet. Whether over the snow-capped Zagros Mountains in Northern Iraq, the dry desert sands of Kandahar, or the low wetlands of South Louisiana, my views from the cockpit shaped my world. Getting there. Now that’s a story. Like many, aviation wasn’t a choice for me. I grew up hearing…

True or False: Quoting the movie Top Gun will get you fined at the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School. To be perfectly frank, Top Gun was the reason I became a Navy pilot. I remember saying I just want to serve my country, be the best fighter pilot in the Navy! I know what you’re…