Tech Insider
A combat-loaded F/A-18C launches off the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lieutenant Commander John Tortorich.
Lt. Cmdr. John Tortorich has flown 20 combat flights on deployment in Iraq and Syria.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Media/John Tortorich

  • Lt. Cmdr. John Tortorich, 33, is a pilot in the Navy. 
  • He was deployed in Iraq and Syria in 2016 aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
  • Tortorich now trains pilots of Strike Fighter Squadron 105, also known as the "Gunslingers."

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lt. Cmdr. John Tortorich, a pilot in the US Navy. It has been edited for length and clarity.

The Naval Academy wasn't on my radar in high school, but being a successful swimmer got me noticed by their college recruiters.

Tags
Military & Defense, freelancer-uk, contributor-2023, as-told-to
Source
I'm a Topgun-trained fighter pilot for the Navy. I'd make more money as an airl…