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Rosie Shakari spends day as honorary Air Force pilot’
VIENNA
Cruising down the main runway in a huge C-130 cargo plane is just one of the new experiences that Rosalinda “Rosie” Shakari can share with her fifth-grade classmates at Campbell Middle School after being sworn in as an honorary Air Force Reserve second lieutenant.
As the newest 910th Airlift Wing Pilot for a Day, Rosie donned a genuine air crew flight suit tailor-made for her and received several mementos of the occasion, including a set of “dog tags,” the official identification for U.S. military personnel, presented to her Wednesday by Lt. Col. Cathy Miller, a pilot with the 901th’s 757th Airlift Squadron.
She was given the oath of office by Col. Craig Peters, 910th operations group commander, in the absence of Col. Stephen “Fritz” Linsenmeyer, commander of the 910th.
Rosie also received a model replica of the $30 million C-130 Hercules aircraft from Fred Kubli, president of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station Base-Community Council, financial co-sponsor of the Pilot-for-A Day program.
After being sworn in, Rosie had lunch before starting a schedule of activities that included a tour of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in a Marine Corps Hummer, driven by Marines stationed at the base, with stops at the 910th Life Support shop, firing the Fire Arms Training Simulator and a ride on a base firetruck.
The program’s purpose is to reach out to the community by providing a fun-filled day of activities to children who live with a chronic or life-threatening disease or illness, 910th officials said.
Rosie receives treatment for chronic asthma at Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley in Boardman.
Asthma is a chronic disease that children don’t outgrow. They can be without symptoms at times, but the asthma can come back, said Helen Spencer, nursing education coordinator, asthma community outreach, and education and support center at Akron Children’s Boardman.
Rosie, whose favorite subject in school is science, and who likes to draw, was accompanied by her brother, Moe Syed of Campbell, and her grandfather, Fred Morales of Youngstown.