Gwendol Whitney, a B-26 Pilot during World War 2, was my childhood hero and mentor. In many ways, he was a grandfather to me. By sharing his personal experiences and love of aviation and space exploration, he cultivated a deep interest in those things within me from early childhood. Thanks to his influence, I followed in his footsteps to become a military Aviator.I have 10 years of experience flying for the United States Navy. I currently serve as a C-26D (SA-227) Transport Plane Commander, Instructor Pilot, NATOPS Instructor, Crew Resource Management Instructor, and Crew Resource Management Unit Level Manager. I am qualified on the P-8A (B737-800NG) as a Patrol Plane Commander, Quick Reaction Capability Aircraft Mission Commander, Instructor Pilot, Advanced Airborne Sensor Aircraft Commander, and Aerial Refueling Pilot. I have 2100 hours of total flight time, 700 hours as PIC, over 2,000 hours of turbine time, and 1,950 hours of multi-engine turbine time. I have accumulated significant ICAO experience throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.I hold an Unrestricted ATP certificate, and am type rated on the SA-227.Previously, I served for 6 years as a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive (linguist), specifically as a Farsi, Dari, and Pashto linguist. I am still qualified in all three languages.