thedrifter
02-18-08, 06:54 AM
Article published Feb 18, 2008
Transporting the president
Marine One pilot flies in formation to tornado zone
By DOUG DAVIS
dougdavis@dnj.com
— Doug Davis, 615-278-5152
A Murfreesboro native is part of a group of select Marines — the HMX-1 squadron — that transported President Bush to tornado-ravaged areas of Tennessee earlier this month.
Marine Maj. Aaron Adams, was the co-pilot in the second VH-3 helicopter, just behind the VH-3 that was transporting George W. Bush as he visited Macon County.
Adams flew by helicopter from the Marine Corps Air Facility in Quantico, Va., to Lafayette Feb. 7 to check out the area prior to the president's visit the next day. A tornado slammed the area two days before.
"It was massive devastation and pretty heartbreaking to see it. I can't say I've ever seen anything like it," said Adams. "I spent the past nine years in North Carolina at Marine Corps Air Station New River. I've seen hurricane damage, but not to the extent of the tornado damage."
President Bush arrived in Nashville Feb. 8 on Air Force One and got onto Marine One, the first of two VH-3 helicopters. Adams was the co-pilot of the second VH-3 in the formation, which is called Nighthawk Two.
"In my helicopter we had Secret Service members and White House staff," said Adams. "Reporters and state staff were in the other three helicopters."
The formation flew the president and his entourage up and down the swath of damage in Macon County and then back to Lafayette's airport, where President Bush was taken by motorcade to the damaged areas. The Marine Corps helicopter personnel waited at the airport.
Childhood dreams
Adams played with GI Joe toys as a child in Middle Tennessee, but his mother never anticipated this.
"I can't say I ever did," said Judy Adams of Murfreesboro.
Military veterans are on both sides of the family.
"My brother was in the Navy for 30 years and my father was in the Army for 20 years," said Judy Adams from Regal Furniture in Smyrna where she works in sales.
Aaron Adams' late father, Sam, served in the Air Force and later worked for the Air National Guard in Nashville.
Seventy-seven-year-old Marlin Adams of Murfreesboro served in the Army for two years and just missed being sent to Korea during that conflict. Instead, he was informed that there had been a 10-day delay and received orders to report to New Jersey.
"I wound up in France and went to school in Germany and on furlough to London," Aaron Adams' uncle said.
"Another uncle was a retired Marine," said Aaron Adams. "We covered the full spectrum."
Slap on the shoulder
The helicopter flight in Tennessee was not the first time Aaron Adams flew with the president.
Last month, he was in the formation's second aircraft when Bush was in Jerusalem.
"We were in two VH-60s," said the major. "We flew him from Tel Aviv airport to Jerusalem. I was also on the ground for the operations in Palestine. We have personnel in the landing zone for helicopters there."
In December, the 35-year-old had an opportunity to co-pilot Marine One with the president on board.
"I am one of several current qualified co-pilots for Marine One," said Adams. "There are about a couple dozen of us right now."
He and the pilot flew President Bush from the White House to Bethesda National Naval Medical Center where he visited patients.
Bush has a routine when he boards or leaves Marine One.
"When he gets on board, he shakes the aircraft commander's (the pilot's) hand and he slaps the co-pilot on the shoulder," said Adams. "I got a slap on the shoulder twice that day. It is awesome being able to carry him around. It is definitely the highlight of my career."
The Marine was also on one flight with Vice President Dick Cheney.
"We flew him from Andrews Air Force Base when he got off of Air Force Two from a trip out west to a place near his second residence in Maryland," said Adams.
The major was selected on his birthday in November 2006 to become a part of the president's squadron.
"Coming to this squadron is something I had always dreamed about doing ever since flight school," said Adams. "Things finally lined up with my career and deployments. I decided to put in an application and fortunately got selected."
High-level training
He moved from North Carolina to Virginia in 2007 where in November he completed the necessary training to be a co-pilot for Marine One over about four months.
"After the initial phases of training you are qualified to be a co-pilot for Marine One," said Adams. "After a year or so you gain the qualification of White House helicopter aircraft commander where you are qualified to be the pilot for the vice president on Marine Two. After a certain amount of time doing that you become eligible for higher designations and potentially to be one of the five pilots for Marine One."
Prior to moving to Virginia and becoming part of the Presidential Helicopter Squadron, the young Marine flew a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter for nine years based out of Jacksonville, N.C.
"I completed three combat tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa," he said. "Most of us have combat experience who are on the HMX-1 squadron (the President's squadron)."
Adams was born in Murfreesboro in 1972. He moved with his family to Nashville when he was in the first grade and graduated from Father Ryan High School in 1991. Adams still considers Murfreesboro home, even though his mother said he doesn't return to Rutherford County as often as she would like.
"From the time he was a junior in high school he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He was focused," said Judy Adams. "He wanted to go to the U.S. Naval Academy."
After graduation from the Naval Academy in 1995, Adams joined the Marines.
"I wanted to be a part of the 'Few and the Proud,'" he explained.
He received two years of training in flight school in Florida and then flew the CH-53 Super Stallion, hauling heavy equipment, supplies and troops for the Marines before taking on his newest assignment.
"We are so proud of him," said Mildred Adams, Aaron's aunt. "I think he's done a lot with his life. He has studied hard and worked hard. He was here two years ago this summer and we had a family get-together while he was here," the Murfreesboro resident said.
Her husband Claude served in the Navy during the Korean conflict.
Adams has been in the Marines for almost 13 years. He and his wife, Christine, have a 7-year-old daughter.
"I will definitely do my 20 years and we'll see what happens from there," he said. "I've got three more years in the squadron."
Ellie
Transporting the president
Marine One pilot flies in formation to tornado zone
By DOUG DAVIS
dougdavis@dnj.com
— Doug Davis, 615-278-5152
A Murfreesboro native is part of a group of select Marines — the HMX-1 squadron — that transported President Bush to tornado-ravaged areas of Tennessee earlier this month.
Marine Maj. Aaron Adams, was the co-pilot in the second VH-3 helicopter, just behind the VH-3 that was transporting George W. Bush as he visited Macon County.
Adams flew by helicopter from the Marine Corps Air Facility in Quantico, Va., to Lafayette Feb. 7 to check out the area prior to the president's visit the next day. A tornado slammed the area two days before.
"It was massive devastation and pretty heartbreaking to see it. I can't say I've ever seen anything like it," said Adams. "I spent the past nine years in North Carolina at Marine Corps Air Station New River. I've seen hurricane damage, but not to the extent of the tornado damage."
President Bush arrived in Nashville Feb. 8 on Air Force One and got onto Marine One, the first of two VH-3 helicopters. Adams was the co-pilot of the second VH-3 in the formation, which is called Nighthawk Two.
"In my helicopter we had Secret Service members and White House staff," said Adams. "Reporters and state staff were in the other three helicopters."
The formation flew the president and his entourage up and down the swath of damage in Macon County and then back to Lafayette's airport, where President Bush was taken by motorcade to the damaged areas. The Marine Corps helicopter personnel waited at the airport.
Childhood dreams
Adams played with GI Joe toys as a child in Middle Tennessee, but his mother never anticipated this.
"I can't say I ever did," said Judy Adams of Murfreesboro.
Military veterans are on both sides of the family.
"My brother was in the Navy for 30 years and my father was in the Army for 20 years," said Judy Adams from Regal Furniture in Smyrna where she works in sales.
Aaron Adams' late father, Sam, served in the Air Force and later worked for the Air National Guard in Nashville.
Seventy-seven-year-old Marlin Adams of Murfreesboro served in the Army for two years and just missed being sent to Korea during that conflict. Instead, he was informed that there had been a 10-day delay and received orders to report to New Jersey.
"I wound up in France and went to school in Germany and on furlough to London," Aaron Adams' uncle said.
"Another uncle was a retired Marine," said Aaron Adams. "We covered the full spectrum."
Slap on the shoulder
The helicopter flight in Tennessee was not the first time Aaron Adams flew with the president.
Last month, he was in the formation's second aircraft when Bush was in Jerusalem.
"We were in two VH-60s," said the major. "We flew him from Tel Aviv airport to Jerusalem. I was also on the ground for the operations in Palestine. We have personnel in the landing zone for helicopters there."
In December, the 35-year-old had an opportunity to co-pilot Marine One with the president on board.
"I am one of several current qualified co-pilots for Marine One," said Adams. "There are about a couple dozen of us right now."
He and the pilot flew President Bush from the White House to Bethesda National Naval Medical Center where he visited patients.
Bush has a routine when he boards or leaves Marine One.
"When he gets on board, he shakes the aircraft commander's (the pilot's) hand and he slaps the co-pilot on the shoulder," said Adams. "I got a slap on the shoulder twice that day. It is awesome being able to carry him around. It is definitely the highlight of my career."
The Marine was also on one flight with Vice President Dick Cheney.
"We flew him from Andrews Air Force Base when he got off of Air Force Two from a trip out west to a place near his second residence in Maryland," said Adams.
The major was selected on his birthday in November 2006 to become a part of the president's squadron.
"Coming to this squadron is something I had always dreamed about doing ever since flight school," said Adams. "Things finally lined up with my career and deployments. I decided to put in an application and fortunately got selected."
High-level training
He moved from North Carolina to Virginia in 2007 where in November he completed the necessary training to be a co-pilot for Marine One over about four months.
"After the initial phases of training you are qualified to be a co-pilot for Marine One," said Adams. "After a year or so you gain the qualification of White House helicopter aircraft commander where you are qualified to be the pilot for the vice president on Marine Two. After a certain amount of time doing that you become eligible for higher designations and potentially to be one of the five pilots for Marine One."
Prior to moving to Virginia and becoming part of the Presidential Helicopter Squadron, the young Marine flew a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter for nine years based out of Jacksonville, N.C.
"I completed three combat tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa," he said. "Most of us have combat experience who are on the HMX-1 squadron (the President's squadron)."
Adams was born in Murfreesboro in 1972. He moved with his family to Nashville when he was in the first grade and graduated from Father Ryan High School in 1991. Adams still considers Murfreesboro home, even though his mother said he doesn't return to Rutherford County as often as she would like.
"From the time he was a junior in high school he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He was focused," said Judy Adams. "He wanted to go to the U.S. Naval Academy."
After graduation from the Naval Academy in 1995, Adams joined the Marines.
"I wanted to be a part of the 'Few and the Proud,'" he explained.
He received two years of training in flight school in Florida and then flew the CH-53 Super Stallion, hauling heavy equipment, supplies and troops for the Marines before taking on his newest assignment.
"We are so proud of him," said Mildred Adams, Aaron's aunt. "I think he's done a lot with his life. He has studied hard and worked hard. He was here two years ago this summer and we had a family get-together while he was here," the Murfreesboro resident said.
Her husband Claude served in the Navy during the Korean conflict.
Adams has been in the Marines for almost 13 years. He and his wife, Christine, have a 7-year-old daughter.
"I will definitely do my 20 years and we'll see what happens from there," he said. "I've got three more years in the squadron."
Ellie