Tag Archives: SkyWest Veterans

Supporting Our Veterans From 6,700 Miles Away

The 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade recently returned to Minnesota after being deployed for 10 months in the Middle East. There they flew a variety of missions in Iraq, Kuwait, and Syria and faced a number of challenging conditions.

Among the many brave women and men in the brigade are 10 SkyWest pilots. Knowing how challenging a deployment can be and the many questions that can come up while away from work, leaders and other teams at SkyWest went out of their way to keep these pilots updated and informed.   

“SkyWest was super supportive, even with COVID-19 they still reached out and helped us,” said Auggie Peck, a CRJ first officer based in Minneapolis (MSP).

To help show their appreciation for the support they received, Auggie and the team made arrangements to bring back two flags that were flown during their deployment. On the certificate of authenticity, it points out that the flag was flown onboard a UH-60 Blackhawk during a three-day combat mission, one of the longest missions of the deployment.

“It’s hard being deployed, but SkyWest kept caring,” said Auggie. “We wanted to just say thank you.”

Auggie delivered the flags to Captain Chris Mayer, SkyWest’s chief pilot in MSP and a fellow Veteran, earlier this month. One will be displayed in MSP and the other will be presented at SkyWest’s headquarters in St. George, Utah.

“Auggie told me what he had planned to do while he was on deployment, but it was an emotional moment seeing the pride on his face when he brought them into the office,” said Mayer.

Mayer, who helped provide many of the updates the pilots received while overseas, says he just wished he could’ve done more to let them know they are supported. 

“SkyWest is home to many incredible people,” said Mayer. “Freedom isn’t free and it’s important with a deployment that you feel supported.”

Thank you to Auggie and all those serving with you, for your sacrifices and the work you do for our Nation. SkyWest is home to more than 1,500 active military members and Veterans and we are grateful for their service.  

Honoring Our Veterans

2015_veterans_daySkyWest is home to more than 1,000 men and women who are serving or have served our country, many of whom are in the reserves and can be called on at any moment to active service. As part of our team of more than 11,000, these brave individuals put their background and experience to work to provide safe, exceptional service to more than 30 million SkyWest passengers each year.

As we pause to honor our veterans on this day, SkyWest Corporate Communications manager Layne Watson shares a story about his grandfather, Lynn Watson, who served in the Army during WWII.

My grandfather served in the 104th Infantry Division during World War II. He and his division were near Antwerp, Belgium when the Battle of the Bulge began. General Eisenhower called my grandfather’s general and told him, “You have Germans on three sides of you. If you want to pull back, you have my permission.”

Every time my grandfather would tell me this story he would tear up as he recalled his general’sgrandpa-watson response: “We paid for this ground in blood and we are keeping it!”

Sure enough, the town that the 104th had taken was soon under German attack. Eventually, my grandfather and one other soldier were separated from the rest of their troop and the town was surrounded by German forces. The two of them took cover in an old barn. My grandfather would later discover that he and his comrade were presumed dead.

For the next 48 hours, my grandfather eluded German forces (and friendly bombing) before making it to a safe zone. When he returned to his outfit, they were preparing to send his belongings to my grandmother with the news that he had been killed in action. My grandmother would always recall how grateful she was to have never received that notice.

I am incredibly grateful for my grandfather and the countless other brave souls like him who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms.

Please join us in honoring and saluting all of our U.S. military members for their brave and selfless service to help protect the freedoms we enjoy.

Standing Quietly: A Salute to Veterans

Justin Giles
Corporate Communications Coordinator

SkyWest is home to more than 950 veterans who have or are currently serving in the United States military, and thousands of other employees have family members who proudly represent the U.S. through their military service. So it should be no surprise that these 10,000+ aviation professionals are committed to showing their support for veterans.

In fact, Jonathan Walker, a Salt Lake City-based pilot, decided last Veterans Day that he was going to do something a little different to support his fellow veterans.

Veterans Day 2014

Veterans Day 2014

“Veterans stand all around us, and I believe it is everyone’s patriotic duty to show them how appreciated they are,” Jonathan said.

And so, adorned in his uniform and equipped with the stars and stripes, Jonathan took a quiet stand on a bridge overlooking I-15 (also called the Veterans Memorial Highway) in Lehi, Utah. Passing motorists were immediately touched by his anonymous display of patriotism and respect. Many called local news stations or posted his picture on social media sites to remind others of the sacrifice so many men and women have made. His story quickly gained national attention and his identity was eventually revealed.

Jonathan has now taken that attention and is using it to expand his efforts to stand quietly on more than just Veterans Day. This past Memorial Day, in fact, Jonathan, along with several additional SkyWest employees and others, will be positioned on various I-15 overpasses as a tribute to those who have and are serving in the armed forces.

Jonathan has also been working to establish similar events in other locations around the country. He has posted additional information about the initiative on standingquietly.com.

SkyWest is proud of team members like Jonathan and so many others around the country who make an incredible impact on those they live and work with.