DEFENDING YOUR DREAMS

{ Feature }

Defend Your Dreams

A Local Soldier’s Journey From Street to Seat

Story by Bianca Rawlings

Photos courtesy Chris Aviles

Seguin resident Chris Aviles perfectly exemplifies the discipline and sense of purpose that runs deep within veterans and active duty service members of the armed forces. Aviles was a Black Hawk Medical Evacuation pilot in the United States Army, who attributes his success in life to his undying determination and desire to be all he could be.

Aviles said he will never forget his humble, small town beginnings in Nixon, Texas.

“My father was an immigrant from Mexico and my mother was from Seguin,” he said. “As I grew up, I remember seeing the buses come through Highway 87 and stop at the DQ…or at the gas station. I would see these soldiers come out of the bus and would always ask my mom about these soldiers,” he said.

His mother did not have answers for him about the soldiers, but that did not stop his questions or his curiosity about the armed services.

Aviles said his dreams of becoming a pilot started from a very early age.

“I remember back in the day when I was very young, about 8 or 9, there was a show that came out in 1984 called ‘Airwolf.’ It was about a helicopter, a supersonic attack helicopter, and I had always said ‘I am going to be a helicopter pilot,’” he said. “As I grew up, my intentions were to be an aviator by age 25, then possibly become a policeman later on.”

From a young age, Aviles began paving his own way in life and imagining a world beyond what he was shown. His family did not support his dreams and desire to pursue a career in either the armed forces or law enforcement. Aviles’ father worked in the poultry business and, for a time Aviles tried to put his ambitions aside and follow in his father’s footsteps.

“I hit rock bottom in the workforce making $6.35 an hour, smelling like chicken every day. But I thought, I am a young American Latino man and there has to be a bigger future for me…so I enlisted,” he said. “I first enlisted as an engineer, so I was what you would call a ground pilot. But I wasn’t happy there. I always wanted to advance, so I said what about helicopters? I’ve always been interested in helicopters.”

Intent on chasing that childhood dream, Aviles went to school and became a Black Hawk mechanic. While that placated part of his dream, he pushed forward to making it a reality.

“So I got out of the reserves in August of 1997 just before I turned 19 and I went to school to become a Black Hawk mechanic,” he said. “I said, ‘you know what, I still want more. If I can work on this, I can fly it.’ I had always wanted to be a pilot and now I had my opportunity to do it.”

Aviles found that he had to fight to reach his dream of becoming a pilot . He described his mindset and got innovative when he spoke about his path to finally going to aviation flight school.

“They put a stop to my career as a pilot [due to the Iraq War,] so as soon as my contract ended I got out,” he said.

Aviles then used his GI-Bill to become a full-time police officer, and he eventually advanced to police chief. But he refused to let his dreams of flying a helicopter be completely side-tracked and found a way back to the pilot seat as he re-enlisted.

“In 2007, I quit law enforcement and from 2008-2015 I was on active duty,” he said.“I came back on a program that the Army has had for years that I was not aware of that was called ‘Street to Seat’ where you come in as a civilian and immediately go into the MOS (military operational specialties) of a helicopter pilot. I had to work hard for [my dreams]. I learned if you didn’t ask the recruiter the right questions… you had to go research it yourself.”

Aviles’ said his journey taught him the importance of mentorship and he plans to use what he’s learned to help children in and around Seguin. To achieve that goal, Aviles is currently working on his Master’s degree in Public Administration with a plan to continue on to obtain a doctorate.

Aviles said he truly appreciates the drive and discipline that he gained from all his experiences in life because it had made him into the person he is today.

“I have gotten to the point where my previous education, skills and abilities have worked in my favor in the future,” he said. “I am a part-time tourist pilot and deputy constable. But it came at a price, time and effort.”