Team Andrews hosts 15th Pilot for a Day

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Steve Lewis
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  Melvin Maldonado is ten years old. Just like other boys his age, he likes pizza, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and watching Spongebob Squarepants on television.

Melvin has also overcome great odds at ten years old. Odds that average kids may never have to face. He has fought through the removal of two brain tumors and will soon have surgery for the removal of a third. Melvin will have an even tougher road after surgery as he undergoes numerous rounds of chemotherapy.

Melvin's enduring courage and strength compares to that of an Air Force Airman. In fact, it is those two traits that led him to the Pilot for a Day Program at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Dec. 7.

It was 9:00 am on that Friday when Melvin received a warm welcome by servicemembers stationed on base. Just like a new Airman joining the Air Force, Melvin started the day's tour of duty being "sworn in" by 459th Air Refueling Wing's vice wing commander, Col. Gary W. Dickinson.

After being made an "honorary U.S. Air Force pilot," Melvin joined his family and his new Team Andrews wingmen in touring base displays and aircraft, including the 459th Air Refueling Wing's KC-135 aerial refueling jet and a fighter jet from the113th Wing. He even had the chance to sit in the cockpit of a flight simulator and meet the active-duty military working dogs from the 11th Security Forces Squadron.

Coordinated by the Air Force Reserve Command's 459th ARW, the District of Columbia Air National Guard's 113th WG and local children's hospitals, the Team Andrews Pilot for a Day program invites children of all ages, military or civilian, with serious or chronic conditions to be a guest of the base for an entire day.

The original Pilot for a Day program began in 1994 at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas and has spread to several bases across the country. The Team Andrews program has hosted 15 children, including Melvin. Coordinators like Lt. Col. Rob Balzano, 201st Airlift Squadron Operations Support Flight commander, and Maj. Kara Sandifur, 756th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, help to lead it.

"Every year the Pilot for a Day program gets better and better. The willingness of the different organizations on and off base to contribute is just overwhelming," said Balzano.

When he's not busy coordinating the Pilot for a Day program, flying aircraft and commanding a flight, Balzano also heads up the Check-6 Foundation. Check-6 is a non-profit corporation and charitable organization through the Combined Federal Campaign. The foundation has not only donated thousands of dollars to the Pilot for a Day program, it has also contributed support to other seriously ill children, military veterans and local families in need of financial help.

Organizations like the Check-6 Foundation, the 113th WG, and the 459th ARW may support to the program, but so do local D.C. businesses like the Gaylord National Hotel, who donated a suite for Melvin and his family for the night. Following their busy day touring the base and meeting servicemembers, they were also treated to dinner at the hotel while enjoying Holiday festivities.

Melvin's family (all Hyattsville, Md. natives) included his two older brothers, his mother Marta, and his father Francisco, who all joined him for the base visit on Friday.

"We are very grateful for the servicemembers who gave such a great gift to Melvin and our family," Francisco said. "This unforgettable visit has put a smile on our son's face."

That same smiling face Melvin's father mentioned could also be seen on the Airmen who supported his son for the Pilot for a Day program on Friday. The soft-spoken ten-year-old boy, with his love for pizza, now ends his visit complete with an Air Force flight suit, patches and many lasting memories.

To sum the day up, Melvin said his favorite part was seeing the military work dogs.

"I was really excited," he said.


Editors note: for more photos from Melvin's visit, click here