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HomeMy Public PortalAboutWall, SeanMcCall Navy. flier -STAR (VEWS i-7-(73 BY CHERIE A. BEATTY likes his work For The Star News Sean Wall wasn't home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and it is unlikely he will be home for St. Valentine's Day. Missing the traditional family holidays is part of what Wall decided would be part of his world when he traded a more traditional career for the cockpit of the Navy's F-14 Tomcat. Wall, 25, is the son of John and Susan Wall of McCall. He is as- signed to Fighter Squadron (VF) 14 and is now deployed to the Mediter- ranean Sea as part of the aircraft car- rier Kennedy's battle group. A lieutenant, Wall says he was always interested in flying, but wasn't sure that naval aviation would be for him because his aca- demic skills in math and science were not strong. Instead, he concen- trated on first things first and the rest seemed to fall into place. "After I graduated from McCall - Donnelly High School, I went to the University of Idaho at Moscow and got into the ROTC program there. My primary focus was to learn to be a good naval officer first. When I was selected for aviation, that was a bonus." A radar intercept officer, Wail has been trained to handle the navigation and communication equipment aboard the Tomcat and to control the fighter's weapons system. "People always ask me what it's like to fly," he said. "It's surprising, but there is no sense of speed when we're flying. Still there's a certain sense of thrill in hanging upside down in the air and going in loops. The highest speed roller coaster ride pales in comparison." The aerobatic maneuvers he de- scribes as "thrilling" are not done for fun but to practice as part of the deadly ballet that is aerial air-to-air combat, he said. During the Gulf War, the vintage F-14 demonstrated that it could still control the skies when manned by highly trained crews. "The whole idea of combat flying is frightening," Wall said. "It's in- teresting to me that although you're afraid, you are also confident that you're well trained and ready if war comes." While deployed, the men of VF- 14 will fly missions each day. Each mission is approached with the same seriousness as if combat were likely. In addition to projecting power, routine deployments also al- low the Navy to practice the skills and coordinated activities that are re- quired during wartime operations. The 10,000 person Kennedy bat- tle group was the first to deploy fol- lowing the issuance of the Navy's white paper, "From the Sea," which outlines the new strategy for the sea service as it restructures to meet the demands of the changing world scene. If the laws are changed to allow military women an active role in combat, Wall may see another change as female pilots report to carrier -based squadrons. "I wouldn't mind at all if my wing 'man' was a woman," said Wall. "When we've got our oxygen masks on and our visors down, we aren't men or women, we're ajlots and navigators." Wall believes that there are some attributes that mark successful fighter aviators. "You have to be self-confident, dedicated and willing to take it on the chin now and again. You have to be able to take constructive criticism because there are no second chances in carrier avia- tion," he said. Wall says that there are some disadvantages to his chosen profes- sion, but notes that the drawbacks are shared by anyone who joins the Navy. "Being deployed for six months and being separated from your family is hard," said Wall, who is married to the former Melissa S. McMichael, a certified public ac- countant. Wall hopes to make the Navy a career. He acknowledges that the military is going to go through some changes, but he feels that he's the sort of person that can help the Navy make the transition from Cold Warriors to whatever lies over the horizon. U.S. Navy Photo by PH1 (AW) Timothy Wood Navy Lt. Sean Wall stands by a VF-14 fighter.