Safe on Deck Antonio Gemma More'

For episode forty-six I sat down with Paul “Bandit” Entrekin at his home in Walnut Hill, Florida. For episode thirty-three, Paul detailed his time as a Naval Aviator flying the Marine Corps UH-1N “Huey” as well as his time on the airshow circuit as the first civilian MiG-15bis “Fagot” demonstration pilot in the free world, but for episode forty-six we took a deep dive into his responsibilities as air boss for the annual Pensacola Beach Airshow. In 2023, Paul marked thirty years of service as air boss for the Pensacola Beach Airshow, and during this episode we discussed many behind-the-scenes operational, logistics, and scheduling considerations that he and the team at the Santa Rosa Island Authority skillfully manage each July in order to pull off an exciting, memorable, and most importantly safe “Red, White, and Blues Week”.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. In the future, I plan to continue to share similar interviews with both current and retired military aviators. If you have a question or a suggestion for a future interview please reach out directly at safeondeck@gmail.com. “Safe on Deck” episode forty-six, with Paul “Bandit” Entrekin. Enjoy!

Entrekin Aviation
https://paulentrekin.com

"Walnut Hill Man Was The Boss Of The Pensacola Beach Air Show. Here’s A Behind The Scenes Look."
http://www.northescambia.com/2024/07/walnut-hill-man-was-the-boss-off-the-pensacola-beach-air-show-hes-a-behind-the-scenes-look

Episode 33: Paul Entrekin (UH-1, MiG-15)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-33-paul-entrekin-uh-1-mig-15/id1615450730?i=1000597446022

** The views and opinions presented on “Safe on Deck” are my own and those of my guests and do not represent the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or its components. **

For episode forty-five I sat down with LtCol Rich “Sheriff” Peace at the 100th Fighter Squadron in Montgomery, Alabama. LtCol Peace joined the Air Force Reserve in April 2002, and after being selected to train as a C-130H “Hercules” pilot at Maxwell Air Force Base he executed an exceptionally-rare Air Force Reserve to Air National Guard unit transfer to fly the F-16C+ “Fighting Falcon” at the 187th Fighter Wing. LtCol Peace has executed five combat deployments, flying missions over Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. On December 5th 2023, LtCol Peace delivered one of the first three Alabama-assigned F-35A “Lightning II” jets to Dannelly Field, marking a major step forward in the 100th Fighter Squadron’s long-awaited unit conversion to the new fifth-generation stealth fighter. LtCol Peace currently serves as the 187th Fighter Wing Operations Group Deputy Commander. LtCol Peace is a Command Pilot who has logged more than 3000 hours in the F-16C+ and the F-35A and he is a Boeing 757/ 767 captain and instructor at a major US airline. LtCol Peace is a founding board member of the Red Tail Flight Academy and the Red Tail Scholarship Foundation, dedicated to advancing aerospace career opportunities for minority and under resourced high school and college students to help continue the storied legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. In the future, I plan to continue to share similar interviews with both current and retired military aviators. If you have a question or a suggestion for a future interview, please reach out directly at safeondeck@gmail.com. “Safe on Deck” episode forty-five, with LtCol Rich “Sheriff” Peace. Enjoy!

Alabama Air National Guard
https://al.ng.mil

“Alabama’s 100th in Afghanistan”
https://youtu.be/ooBYnf42g5w?si=PdGDlAdx4XU6-ejQ

Red Tail Flight Academy
www.rtfa.org

** The views and opinions presented on “Safe on Deck” are my own and those of my guests and do not represent the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or its components. **

For episode forty-four I sat down with CAPT J.J. “Yank” Cummings in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1987, CAPT Cummings joined the Navy Reserve as an Enlisted Hospital Corpsman, and after earning his degree and his commission he was selected to fly the legendary F-14 “Tomcat”. CAPT Cummings deployed to the Middle East nine days after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and he was among the first Naval Aviators to strike Taliban targets across Afghanistan. Next, CAPT Cummings served as the maintenance officer in Fighter Squadron 143 where he helped sunset the Grumman F-14B “Tomcat” and transition the squadron to the Boeing F/A-18E “Super Hornet”. Following a tour at NATO, CAPT Cummings was chosen to command Strike Fighter Squadron ELEVEN (VFA-11) flying the F/A-18F “Super Hornet” based aboard NAS Oceana. Upon graduation from Navy Nuclear Power School, CAPT Cummings served as Executive Officer aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) where he was second in command of the Navy’s oldest nuclear aircraft carrier for a nine-month deployment as well as the first F-35C “Lightning II” carrier suitability test. Next, CAPT Cummings served as commanding officer of the brand-new $2 billion USS Anchorage (LPD 23) before working as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Aircraft Carrier Suitability at Naval Air Forces. While at North Island, CAPT Cummings was chosen to be the first of three Naval Aviation technical advisors working closely with Paramount Pictures on the script of the internationally-acclaimed film “TOPGUN: Maverick”. In 2018, CAPT Cummings was selected to command the $13.4 billion, 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), and during his time at the helm he led the crew through the COVID pandemic during a period of intense maintenance work both afloat and ashore. CAPT Cummings retired from the Navy in September 2022 with over 36 years of distinguished service, and he currently works at Boeing Defense in customer and field engagement for Navy programs in addition to acting as a keynote speaker, guest lecturer, and mentor at J.J. Cummings Leadership.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. In the future, I plan to continue to share similar interviews with both current and retired military aviators. If you have a question or a suggestion for a future interview, please reach out directly at safeondeck@gmail.com. “Safe on Deck” episode forty-four, with CAPT J.J. “Yank” Cummings. Enjoy!

J.J. Cummings Leadership
https://jjcummingsleadership.com

Tailhook Educational Foundation
https://www.tailhook.net/tef

** The views and opinions presented on “Safe on Deck” are my own and those of my guests and do not represent the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or its components. **

For episode forty-three I sat down with LCDR Andy “Bernie” Phelps at his home in Fairhope, Alabama. After earning his commission via the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), LCDR Phelps completed Primary and Advanced flight training before being selected to fly the F/A-18F “Super Hornet” at Strike Fighter Squadron 211 (VFA-211) the “Fighting Checkmates” aboard NAS Oceana. Next, LCDR Phelps was hand-picked to transition to the F-35C “Lightning II” where he served as an operational test pilot at Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE (VX-9) Det Edwards, working to expand the jets weapons capabilities and integration into the Naval Aviation Enterprise. In 2023, LCDR Phelps joined into the Navy Reserves where he flies the T-45C “Goshawk” instructing the next-generation of Navy and Marine Corps tailhook aviators.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. In the future, I plan to continue to share similar interviews with both current and retired military aviators. If you have a question or a suggestion for a future interview, please reach out directly at safeondeck@gmail.com. “Safe on Deck” episode forty-three, with LCDR Andy “Bernie” Phelps. Enjoy!

** The views and opinions presented on “Safe on Deck” are my own and those of my guests and do not represent the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or its components. **

For episode forty-two I sat down with CDR Tim “Sheriff” White in Pensacola, Florida. CDR White earned his commission via the United States Naval Academy in May of 2002, and following completion of Navy flight training he went on to fly the then brand-new MH-60S “Knighthawk” helicopter at Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron TWENTY-FIVE (HSC-25) on the island of Guam. Following multiple detachments and overseas deployments while at HSC-25, CDR White returned to the skies over Pensacola as a T-34C “Turbo Mentor” instructor pilot at Training Squadron THREE (VT-3) before serving as a boat detachment Officer in Charge at MSRON-7. Next, CDR White transitioned into the Navy Reserve and returned to NAS Whiting Field as an instructor flying the T-6B “Texan II” before being chosen to command the Naval Operational Support Center (NOSC) in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On the morning of July 16 2015, a self-radicalized lone-wolf Muslim extremist rammed the gate of NOSC Chattanooga before opening fire on the sailors and Marines inside, and in an act contrary to Navy regulations, CDR White opened fire on the attacker utilizing his personal firearm. CDR White went on to serve in a variety of leadership roles in the Navy Reserve including as the Operational Support Officer for Navy Reserve Integration at Naval Education Training Command (NETC) and as Commanding Officer of Navy Reserve Center El Paso. On May 5 2022, CDR White retired from the US Navy with over 20 years of distinguished service and he currently serves as the founder of “Tier Zulu” where he teaches real-world force protection and antiterrorism response skills to the next generation of Aviation, Surface Warfare, Submarine, Recruiting Command, and Reserve commanding officers.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. In the future, I plan to continue to share similar interviews with both current and retired military aviators. If you have a question or a suggestion for a future interview, please reach out directly at safeondeck@gmail.com. “Safe on Deck” episode forty-two, with CDR Tim “Sheriff” White. Enjoy!

Tier Zulu
https://tierzulu.com

Tim and Franicia
https://www.timandfranicia.com

** The views and opinions presented on “Safe on Deck” are my own and those of my guests and do not represent the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or its components. **

For episode forty-one I sat down with LCDR Michael “COUGAR” Weipert in Pensacola Florida. LCDR Weipert began his career in the military by enlisting in the Utah Army National Guard and after 9/11 he changed his college major to Russian Area Studies/ Russian Literature in order to commission a semester early. After graduating as the top aviator in his class in Army flight training, LCDR Weipert was hand-picked to fly the RC-12 “Guardrail” intelligence-gathering aircraft. Between 2007 and 2012, LCDR Weipert deployed to Iraq for a combined 32 months where he served as a UAV Platoon Leader, UAV Company XO, RC-12 Flight Company Commander, Battalion S-4, Battalion Training Officer, and Task Force Commander. In 2014, LCDR Weipert transitioned into the Navy and attended the Texas A&M School of Medicine, where he was selected as a 2015 Tillman Foundation Scholarship recipient. Upon graduation, LCDR Weipert attended internship as a transitional year intern at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, training at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI), before being assigned to Training Squadron TEN (VT-10) as a Flight Surgeon. LCDR Weipert was chosen for a coveted spot in the Residency in Aviation Medicine (RAM) program where he currently works as an aerospace medicine specialist in the NAMI waiver department. LCDR Weipert is designated as a US Navy Flight Surgeon, a Board eligible Aerospace Medicine physician and an Army Senior Aviator and he has logged over 1500 hours in twelve different aircraft types including the C-12 and the RC-12 M, N, Q, and X model aircraft.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. In the future, I plan to continue to share similar interviews with both current and retired military aviators. If you have a question or a suggestion for a future interview, please reach out directly at safeondeck@gmail.com. “Safe on Deck” episode forty-one, with LCDR Michael “COUGAR” Weipert. Enjoy!

“Dedicated to service: A path from military to medicine”
https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/dedicated-to-service-a-path-from-military-to-medicine/

“The Disability Doctors”
https://www.thedisabilitydoctors.org/
https://www.youtube.com/@thedisabilitydoctors9379

** The views and opinions presented on “Safe on Deck” are my own and those of my guests and do not represent the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or its components. **