Squarepatchers honor one of their own with flyby

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Trevor Rhynes and Airman 1st Class Victor J. Caputo
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  An aircrew from the 384th Air Refueling Squadron performed a flyover at the memorial service of Maj. Gen. Alfred Stewart during a training mission over San Antonio March 25.

Stewart, a career tanker pilot, was the former commander of the Air Force Personnel Center and, earlier in his career, the commander of the 384th ARS. Stewart's widow requested to have a KC-135 Stratotanker manned by Squarepatch crew perform a flyover during his funeral before he passed away.

"He's a Squarepatch alumni who has brought a great deal of pride to the squadron," said Maj. Aaron Stark, 384th ARS assistant operations officer. "The KC-135 was the primary airframe he flew during his career, so it was nice to be able to honor him in the airframe he spent so much time in."

Stewart was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011, and eventually lost his battle with the disease on March 9, 2014 after a long series of treatments.

"He is an inspiration to all of us tanker aviators," said Lt. Col. Benjamin Jonsson, 384th ARS commander. "He excelled as an aviator, and he excelled as an officer and as a leader, proving that the sky is the limit when you achieve the highest levels of excellence."

Members of the 384th ARS were notified about Stewart's request for a flyover for his memorial shortly after.

The sky was overcast and not the most flyover-friendly weather, but the Stratotanker crew managed to pull it off, said Stark.

Although the Airmen who made up the aircrew for the flyover didn't know Stewart personally, they agreed that it was a privilege to honor a man who brought so much to the Squarepatchers. The Stratotanker was manned by Stark, Capt. Pete Bulinski, Capt. Tom Duffy and Senior Airman Kyle Engasser.

"We were honored to pay tribute to someone like him," said Bulinski, 384th ARS pilot. "It means a lot to us to be able to provide that kind of support to his family and friends as they mourn his loss."

Stewart took command of the 384th ARS in 1995, and his passion for military service, integrity and excellence in his everyday actions inspired the squadron for years to come. The Squarepatchers established the Maj. Gen. Alfred J. Stewart Tanker Excellence award in 2013 in honor of their former commander. The first presentation of the award was during the unit's 50th anniversary last year. Stewart was to be the guest of honor, but his declining health prevented him from attending.

He accrued more than 3,000 flying hours, the majority of which were in the KC-135.

"He'll be missed," said Jonsson. "I don't think he was finished leading yet."