Page 171 - Never Fly Solo

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on him to check my six and make sure the 79th was always
in combat-ready status. We developed a great professional
relationship, and I trusted Sergeant Summers completely.
Yet, like all of us, he had some issues. A heavy smoker
who rarely hit the gym, he often worked through lunch on a
Snickers bar and a Coke. His poor diet and lack of exercise
caused him to gain some weight, and to maintain Air Force
standards, I had to put him on a health and fitness program.
No counseling, not even a discussion. I just ordered him to
the health and wellness center and told him to check back in
with me in a month.
Mission accomplished. Or so I thought.
A week later I got a phone call from my squadron. Ser-
geant Summers had suffered a stroke and was in the hospital.
Although he was conscious and able to see, it was very
serious.
I remember distinctly the first thought that went through
my mind. It wasn’t about Sergeant Summers and what he
must be going through; it was that I just lost the most impor-
tant wingman in my office. We were deploying in a few weeks,
and now I was going to be undermanned. I thought to myself:
Because Sergeant Summers lacked the discipline and motiva-
tion to take care of himself, the rest of the squadron will have
to suffer the consequences. And I am going to have to deal
with it.
When I arrived to the squadron, my commander told me
that as his supervisor I should go visit Sergeant Summers in
the hospital. Now I became even more frustrated, because I
was scheduled to fly that morning, and I would have to take
myself off the schedule. Reluctantly, I jumped into my car and
arrived fifteen minutes later at the hospital in Sumter, South