Army Reserve
Fly A Chinook

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FIRST LIEUTENANT HEATHER CUPITT

Age:
23
Hometown:
Bucks County, PA
Army Position:
Aviation Officer (15)
Branch:
Aviation Corps
Location:
Fort Bragg, NC
Rank:
First Lieutenant
Civilian Job:
Flight Instructor
  • Fly A Chinook

FLY A CHINOOK

First Lieutenant Heather Cupitt: I'm Lieutenant Heather Cupitt and I'm in the Army Reserve. I wanted to be a pilot ever since I can remember. Growing up through high school and college the Army Reserve was the best way to go because they had helicopters and I wanted to fly.

Well the Army Reserve offered me a two-year scholarship. They gave me money to go to school for the last two-years when I was a junior and senior. They paid for my tuition, they gave me book money, they also will give you a stipend, that helps pay for rent and food every month. So you don't have to necessarily worry about well I have to do ROTC and go to school and learn how to fly and now I have to get a job. Well they help you to take care of that.

I get excited every time I fly the Chinook. We have so many capabilities that we can sling-load other aircrafts. We can sling-load vehicles, we can carry troops. We have so many capabilities that I get excited that I get to do that.

In my civilian job, I am a certified flight instructor. I can fly a single engine or multi-engine aircraft. Employers are on the civilian side they absolutely love the fact that I'm in the Army Reserve. They know that I'm committed to my job, they know that I can be a leader, that I take my job seriously and that I'm serious about accomplishing the mission.

One thing great about the Reserve is that they're very flexible with me. I'm married to an Active Duty Soldier. If we go to the next Duty Station, I can call up a Commander at another unit nearby and say hey this is my situation and can you work with me? That's one great thing about the Reserve; they can be flexible with me.

My mom and dad are proud of my accomplishments and how far I've come. Growing up I was not adventurous, I was in a small town I went to the movies on the weekend and was part of a basketball team. And now I am so much more adventurous just after four or five years coming out of high school and I'm flying a multi-million dollar helicopter and I can't say that about a lot of 23 year olds.