M I L I TA RY profile
LT. COL. STEPHEN CATCHINGS As a pilot, Lt. Col. Stephen Catchings, Chief of Safety for the 908th Airlift Wing, is carrying on a family tradition. But his ties to his fellow Airmen form a tight Air Force family too, one that’s stronger for the wide range of personalities and perspectives it includes.
When and why did you join the Air Force Reserve? I was commissioned into the Air Force Active Duty in August 1988 after graduating from Auburn University, Aerospace Engineering. I joined the Air Force Reserves in June 2000 after being on active duty for 11 years. I switched to the Reserves because my wife and I wanted to start a family. The Reserves provided much needed stability since we were both active duty at the time.
What first got you interested in being a pilot? My father and grandfather were both pilots. My grandfather flew for the Army Air Corps and American Airlines when the airline first started. My father flew F-4 fighter jets in Vietnam and A-10 fighter jets in Europe. Hearing their stories about flying all over the world got me hooked.
What are your duties in the 908th? My flying duties are Instructor/Evaluator Aircraft Commander and Mission Commander. Basically, I teach flying proficiency and combat tactics. I also administer periodic evaluations to the other pilots and copilots. My primary ground duties in the 908th have been Chief of Standardization and Evaluations and Director of Operations. Most recently, I am the Chief of Wing Safety, which covers ground, weapons and flying
By the Numbers
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your work? I enjoy teaching and sharing my years of experience with the younger aircrew. Flying is fun but it can be extremely unforgiving of mistakes and the missions can be very complicated. More importantly though is when I have been able to use the C-130 platform to help those in need. I have flown several hurricane relief missions. In 2010, when Haiti had the earthquake, I flew more than 50 patients with injuries to the United States to get medical attention. That
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRACE O’CONNOR
The stats of Lt. Col. Stephen Catchings Air Force and Air Force Reserve service so far are impressive: 33 years of service, 7,000 flying hours in 56 countries, more than 700 combat hours and more than 10 deployments. But he’s humble. “I don’t really think of them as ‘my’ accomplishments because I didn’t do any of that by myself,” he said.
safety.
