The world lost a few great Soldiers this week. Christian and Steve were two of the best people and pilots that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
I’ve known Steve since I joined the National Guard in 2006 and Christian since I returned from flight school in 2010. Both of these men shaped who I was as a pilot and an Army officer.
Steve was an expert aviator who always had something new to teach me. He strived to make every pilot the best they could be. He was an extraordinary maintenance test pilot and even better instructor. Steve had the knowledge and skill that I could only hope to achieve. As the old adage goes, he has forgotten more about the UH-60 than I will ever know.
Christian was a pilot’s pilot. He was dedicated to the mission and taking care of his crew. He knew how to push the aircraft to its limits. Every time I flew with Christian he pushed me to be a better pilot. He managed to make me just uncomfortable enough every time we flew to make sure I grew as a pilot. As an educator, I can now appreciate his ability to push me out of my comfort zone each time we flew.
No one had a greater effect on my flying confidence than Christian. His love of flying was evident in everything he did–and didn’t do–in the Army. He was the unofficial morale officer and almost always ensured everyone was having a good time.
While I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Prial, I’m sure he was just as awesome of a person and pilot.
While the world did lose a few great Soldiers this week, their impact on the world will not be forgotten. All of these Soldier’s committed to service for their country and we shouldn’t measure their deaths in the number of lives lost, but the number of lives they’ve saved. Between numerous stateside deployments, several overseas deployments, and Christian’s work with the NY State Police, the number of lives saved has to be in the thousands. I know this won’t bring them back, I hope that knowing this will comfort their families knowing that their service to their country has let so many others return to their families.
Blue skies and tailwinds, brothers.
