Air Force Colonel Justin Grieve was in the fourth grade when he walked into a friend's house and saw an array of "fighter-pilot swag" adorned throughout. It was that moment that sent him on to a military-service career, he told the Columbus (Miss.) Exchange Club in a recent presentation. “My only dream in life ... was to go to the United States Air Force Academy” and become a pilot. His friend's father had gone to the academy and flew F-15s and was a pilot with American Airlines. Grieve remembers "very vividly" that's what he wanted to do; and his friend's dad telling him he "had go" to the Air Force Academy. He graduated in 2000. From there, he set began a 20-plus year career that now has landed him at Columbus AFB as commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing. Through those years, there have been ups and downs, including a harrowing experience in which he had to eject from a B-2 bomber before it crashed. He suffered a broken back. The medical team put him in a "cool turtle shell" and said don't do anything for three months, he said. After recuperation, they had him back up flying within a week. In his role at Columbus, Grieve said he wants to continue producing pilots in record numbers like in the past two years. CAFB has produced more pilots than ever before. There are challenges, but the daily goal is producing more than the base did the year before. In 2021, the base graduated 448 and 474 the next year. CAFB will eventually see the T-7 replace the familiar T-38C. Columbus is slated to be the "first base slated to get that airplane for pilot training production, outside of headquarters,” he said. He also urged the public to "get engaged with your base,” he said, and come out and "meet these amazing young men and women that are achieving their life goal ... (i)t’s pretty special.” (The Dispatch 01/20/23)
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