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Pilot for a Day
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Joshua Rowland, 14, of Canfield, was sworn-in Wednesday as an honorary Air Force Reserve 2nd Lieutenant and “Pilot for a Day.” Rowland, a Canfield High School freshman, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma two years ago, but has been cancer free for about a year.
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Cpl. Randy Kibler, of the United States Marine Corps, gets ready to take Joshua Rowland, of Canfield, for a ride in a military HUMVEE just after Rowland was sworn-in as an honorary Air Force Reserve 2nd lieutenant Wednesday.
By Elise Franco
efranco@vindy.com
VIENNA
Wednesday was a typical day of work for members of the 910th Airlift Wing, but for Joshua Rowland, a day at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station was anything but typical.
Rowland, 14, of Canfield, was sworn in Wednesday as an honorary Air Force Reserve 2nd lieutenant thanks to the Pilot for a Day program.
The program, a collaboration between the air base and Akron Children’s Hospital Beeghly Campus, is sponsored by the Base Community Council.
In its 11th year, its purpose is to reach out to the community by providing a day of activities to those who live with a chronic or life-threatening disease or illness, said Maj. Brent Davis, chief of public affairs.
“We all have a common purpose to want to make this a successful day,” he said.
Rowland, a Canfield High School freshman, was diagnosed two years ago with Hodgkin’s lymphoma — a form of cancer that affects part of the immune system, making it hard for the body to fight infection, said his mother Debbie Rowland.
“He had a tumor in his chest, going into his lungs,” she said. “He went through four sessions of chemo, and so far it seems to be inactive.”
Debbie Rowland said her son has been on the road to recovery for the past year and she’s excited that he was able to have this experience.
Davis said Rowland is the fourth honoree for 2010, and only one of about eight teens selected since the program began in 2000. He said the other 35 or so participants were age 8 to 12.
“The biggest difference between the teenagers and the younger kids is that [the teens] ask very intelligent questions,” he said. “[Joshua] is smart enough, where he could join us.”
Rowland was first sworn in by Col. Fritz Linsenmeyer, given a set of gold bars for his jumpsuit, a set of dog tags and a model of the C-130 Hercules aircraft. He was taken on a tour of the base that included visiting the Life Support shop, firing the Fire Arms Training Simulator, a ride on a base firetruck and a taxi ride around the main runway on a $33 million C-130 Hercules aircraft.
“This has been more than what I expected,” Rowland said. “Meeting all of these people has been a great experience for me.”
Rowland said he was speechless when he first stepped onto the base.
“I got to come down to the Air Force base and ride in a plane,” he said. “This could not be a better day.”