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Wings of hope

By SSgt. Amaani Lyle, 459th ARW Public Affairs / Published November 30, 2006

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. -- Michael Ogunjimi, 10, of Washington, D.C., joins Reservist Capt. Scott Clark, 756th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, to salute from the wing of a KC-135 Stratotanker Oct. 27. The 459th Air Refueling Wing and the District of Columbia Air National Guard 113th Wing teamed up to host the "Pilot for a Day" program. "P4D" is a community outreach program that allows military and civilian children of all ages who suffer from serious or chronic medical conditions to visit an installation for the day to tour wing and base facilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Amaani Lyle)
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ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. -- Michael Ogunjimi, 10, of Washington, D.C., joins Reservist Capt. Scott Clark, 756th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, to salute from the wing of a KC-135 Stratotanker Oct. 27. The 459th Air Refueling Wing and the District of Columbia Air National Guard 113th Wing teamed up to host the "Pilot for a Day" program. "P4D" is a community outreach program that allows military and civilian children of all ages who suffer from serious or chronic medical conditions to visit an installation for the day to tour wing and base facilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Amaani Lyle)

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ANDREWS AFB, Md. -- When Michael Ogunjimi was in third grade, he won a regional essay contest with a submission titled "I Love Life and I Want to Live."

Two years later, the 10-year-old Washington, D.C., honor roll student continues to fight every day to make good on his essay's assertion.

Michael is both a Truesdell Elementary School student and a patient at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. On any given day, Michael faces fatigue, discomfort or complications stemming from sickle cell disease, liver enlargement, lung disease and restrictive cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the lower heart chamber walls become too rigid to allow proper blood circulation. On every given day, Michael must twice use a breathing machine to aid in his respiratory function.

Through coordination among the Air Force Reserve Command's 459th Air Refueling Wing, the District of Columbia Air National Guard's 113th Wing and the CNMC, also known as the Children's Hospital, Michael's status temporarily changed from patient to "Pilot for a Day" as part of a program here Oct. 27.

"'Pilot for a Day' has been a dream come true for Michael," said his father, Rev. Stephen Ogunjimi. "This whole experience has had such a positive impact on his healing process."

"Pilot for a Day" or "P4D" is a community outreach program that allows military and civilian children of all ages who suffer from serious or chronic medical conditions to visit an installation for the day to tour wing and base facilities. The original P4D program began at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in December 1994 and has since spread to numerous bases across the country.

P4D arrived here at the behest of the 113th Wing and the unit's team leader, Air National Guardsman Capt. Susanne Schulz.

"Captain Schulz and I plan to alternate the lead in hosting P4D here every six months and make this an ongoing total force effort for the community," Reservist Capt. Scott Clark, 756th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 pilot said.

The behind-the-scenes coordination is designed for simple results: big smiles and an all-day pass to childhood joy.