Navy squadron gives kids a taste of military life Published Dec. 18, 2015 By Kimberly Woodruff Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The number of pilots in the Navy's Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron FOUR grew by four on Dec. 4. With the help of the Cavett Kids Foundation, four young boys joined the squadron as pilots for a day. The goal of the Pilot for a Day program is to provide children who have serious, chronic or terminal conditions and their families the opportunity to spend a day with one of Tinker's flying squadrons. Lt. j.g. Michael Toft, acted as the group's guide as they toured a Navy E-6B jet, got to try out the flight simulator and spent an hour with the fireman at the main fire station. Lieutenant Toft said he hopes the Pilot for a Day program gives the children a break from the challenges they face. Hopefully the children can leave Tinker AFB with patches, souvenirs and memories to help sustain them in the face of their personal challenges. The lieutenant made sure the boys received some special souvenirs from their visit. They each received a flight suit, dog tags, hat and bomber jacket for a more authentic experience. Jeffrey Wright Jr., 10, was so pleased with his flight suit that he wore it to school the next day. His mom, Bridgette, said he was on cloud nine and still talking about the event in the days following his trip out to Tinker AFB. "Cavett Kids provides positive experiences free of charge to the children," said Ashley Simpson, Cavett Foundation's director of Diversionary Play. Cavett Kids is funded by private donations and serves children mostly in the state of Oklahoma. Lieutenant Toft called OU Children's Hospital, which put him in touch with Ms. Simpson. "It's all for the kids," said the lieutenant. "Our squadron strives to be more involved with the community and we thought this would be a good way to give back. Those boys absolutely stole our hearts." Denim Gathright, 10, is a little person who has been involved with Cavett Kids for two years. Denim's mom, Shirlene Perry, said her son has gained confidence through his involvement with Cavett Kids. She has a video of Denim at his first camp when he faced his fear of heights by swinging on a rope 30 feet off the ground. "Denim felt accepted. It gave him the confidence to face the world," said Ms. Perry. "It is so neat for the kids to be themselves and feel accepted and not worry about the scars." Alex Martin, 14, is battling brain cancer, but he said being a Navy pilot for the day was, "too cool," though he agreed the fire station was cool, too. Alex enjoyed the simulator the most and even did a barrel roll. The highlight of the boys' day was time in the E-6B flight simulator, a state-of-the-art hydraulically motion-based cockpit with a screen that can simulate real world scenarios. Lieutenant Toft said the boys each flew a 20- to 30-minute mission over Oklahoma City which included air-refueling and practice landings. At the fire station, the boys got a VIP tour that included climbing up in the fire truck, playing with the loud sirens, and spraying water out of the hoses. Lieutenant Toft almost got a soaking, but the boys laughed and were having a blast. "It was pretty cool!," Denim said. Eric Craig, 9 agreed, adding, "It's fun!" Turns out, Eric is quite the storyteller. He made up a story after playing in the fire truck. "One day I'll become a firefighter and I'll see Mike [Lieutenant Toft] eating jalapeno chips, and I'll spray him with the hose," said Eric. "Mike rubs his eyes and gets jalapeno dust in his eyes. Then, I'll put on the siren and drive away." Lieutenant Toft laughed and exclaimed, "You wouldn't even save me?" To which Eric cracked up laughing.