Army Major Inspires Young People

By Angela Hatcher
WSLS10 Reporter/Anchor
Published: August 28, 2006

Watching a video, Army Major Jayson Altieri’s year in Iraq flashes before his eyes.

“It’s not about the college funds. It’s not about being able to travel. It’s not about being able to do cool things.“, says Altieri.

The eyes of young men and women light up listening to the Roanoke native tell his war stories. They’re Civil Air Patrol cadets. Major Altieri was once one of them. He traded in his patch for airborne wings. Now he pilots a Black Hawk helicopter.

“You will hear people make the terms, well I’m just playing CAP. No you’re not. Whenever you have to deal with real live human beings you are not playing a game.“, says Altieri.

You could say that these young men and women are following in Major Altieri’s footsteps. When his classmates at Northside High School were learning to drive, at age 16, the major was learning to fly.

Cadet Wolfgang Chenault is waiting to hear if he’s been accepted to the Air Force Academy. A guidance counselor once told Major Altieri he’d never be a pilot.

“It just gave me a little bit more hope.“, says Chenault. “I’ve been really struggling the past couple of months trying to get into the Air Force Academy and his success story is just really uplifting that he came from here and made it as far as major in the Army.“

In the next year Major Altieri will likely go back to Iraq.

“If they tell us it is in the best interest of the American people to go to places like Iraq I will salute the flag and I will go willingly.“, says Altieri.

Major Altieri was awarded a bronze star for bravery for his performance as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot during Operation Iraqi Freedom.