Story by Staff Sgt. Crista Yazzie
Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Shepherd
U.S. Army, Pacific Public Affairs

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii – With thousands of hours of flight time clocked and over sixty years of Army service, serving from Vietnam through Desert Storm/Desert Shield to present-day conflicts, Chief Warrant Officers James Leech and Bruce Blackstone retired May 22 at Hickam Air Force Base.

In his 37 years of service with U.S. Army Aviation, Leech flew a total of 10,436 hours, with 1,596 hours of combat flights from Vietnam to Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. In over 23 years, Blackstone flew more than 8,000 hours, with almost 200 flown in combat duty during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Together, as co-pilots, they flew the C20-F Gulfstream 4 with the U.S. Army Priority Air Transport, Pacific Detachment. The primary mission of the USAPAT Pacific Detachment is to support the USARPAC commander in the Pacific theater, but the team supports senior military leaders throughout the world.

"[We] will be losing a combined 50 years worth of first hand administrative, tactical and military historical experience," said Sgt. 1st Class Angelo Villavicencio, detachment first sergeant. "Both officers have been my mentors on duty and off duty during peace time and in combat and I will sincerely miss them both."

Two years ago, the Pacific USAPAT team deployed to Qatar in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom for 113 days. The deployment supported congressional members, the Central Command commander, the Chief of Staff of the Army, and other senior military and civilian leaders.

"On that deployment, and on our flights from our daily missions, we've flown everybody from the chief of Staff of the Army, on down," Leech said.

STATIONED TOGETHER

The two pilots have been working literally side-by side for over a decade, after both were officially fixed-wing qualified.

"Bruce and I have been following each other around assignments for about the last 13 years," Leech said. "We first met each other in 1995 in Korea, and we served together in Japan, at Andrews Air Force Base [Maryland], and now here."

They attributed their amount of time together primarily to the highly-specialized field they work in. "The fixed-wing community is a very small community, and inside of that community is the jet community, which is even smaller, there's maybe 150 in the Army, and then inside of that are the Gulfstream pilots, and there's only 5 Gulfstreams in the Army, and there are only a few places in the world you can fly them," Leech ventured.

Aside from the one quartered in Hawaii, three other Army Gulfstream airplanes are found at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and one at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
 

"MEMORIES/HIGHLIGHTS:

Leech joined the Army in 1967, completed two tours in Vietnam and served on active Duty until 1974, when he joined the Texas National Guard for fourteen years. He came back on Active Duty in 1989, flying for Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and after becoming fixed-wing qualified, he met up with Blackstone.

In 2007, he flew to Hanoi on a mission with the USAPAT team. "I think I might be the last Army pilot to actually fly on an active duty mission into Vietnam both during the Vietnam conflict and then to do it now," said Leech.

Leech has flown numerous aircraft throughout his career, including the OH23- Raven, TH-13 Sioux, TH-55 Osage, UH-1 Iroquois ("Huey"), CH-47 Chinook, OH-58 Kiowa, AH-1 Cobra, RC-12 Guardrail Common Sensor, UC-35, C37, and C20.

Blackstone joined the Army in 1985 and has been flying since. He cited a highlight of his career being able to train the first Gulf-Stream 550, Designation G-550, C37B, in the Army.

"That airplane is the newest most modern ultra-long range that you can buy in the world, and during my time at Andrews (Air Force Base), I was fortunate enough to be the first instructor pilot that was involved in flying that airplane and then training our unit pilots," Blackstone said.

Blackstone's crew was also the first military crew to fly this plane. "It was an historic event for the Army; it's nice when we can beat the Air Force," he smiled.

In addition to the Gulf-Stream 550 (C37B), and C20F, during the course of his career, Blackstone has also flown the TH-55 Osage, UH-1 Iroquois ("Huey"), UH-60 Blackhawk, OV-1 Mohawk, C-12 Huron, UC35, RC12, and C37A.

CHANGES

Both warrant officers have seen many changes in the Army over the past few decades.

"Army aviation has developed so much over the last forty years. The standards, the quality of the aircraft, the Army's commitment to safety have been remarkable," Leech said "Aviation now is a science."

Blackstone compared the cockpits of twenty years ago to what is flown now, calling the old ones crude and rudimentary. "In the old aircraft, everything was just needles and gauges, but the aircraft we fly today, everything's electronic and computer-driven," he said. "The electronics and the automation level have grown by leaps and bounds just like computer technology on your desktop has grown in the last few years."

A CREW SERVE SYSTEM

Both Leech and Blackstone were quick to recognize the many crews they have worked with during the course of their careers.

"A successful aviation flight begins long before we climb into that cockpit and go fly that aircraft," Blackstone said.

Both were also very supportive of Army aviation itself. "Army pilots are as good, if not better, than any military pilot in the world, and I can say that because I've seen them, I've trained pilots from different services, and Army pilots are the best," Leech said. "Anybody that wants to go into aviation needs to give a hard look at the Army. You've got a very challenging mission, but what a rewarding mission it's been."

Despite all the accomplishments of their careers, both maintained a very humble attitude.

"We don't' think we're any better than most," said Leech. "The real heroes are the kids who are slugging it out overseas, and we have so much admiration and so much respect for them."

POST-RETIREMENT PLANS

In recent years, the two have taken to biking in their spare time. After retiring, Blackstone will be moving to New York, and Leech to Texas, but they plan to stay in contact. "We were talking yesterday on our bicycle ride that we are going to have to go to New York or Texas or something in between for a long bicycle ride," Leech said.

Both were thankful for the time they have spent together and support from their spouses, noting that their families had become very close over the years. "Our families are the best of friends and we consider their kids like our kids, "said Leech. "Bruce's wife Jill is just a great wife and wonderful mother and like my wife Sheila, has been so supportive and understanding of what we have done."

They called themselves fortunate, blessed and thankful. Above all, Blackstone said, he couldn't imagine taking a different route in life.

"I can't imagine now, as I'm getting ready to retire, having done some other career," said Blackstone. "I've had the greatest career serving my country and doing something that I love for the last 23-plus years. It's been so meaningful, so gratifying and rewarding, I just can't imagine what my life would've been like had I not gone this route."