Kareem Bennett didn’t expect so much attention from the 3rd Aircraft Squadron, nor did his mom.

The teenager and his family visited Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on March 16 as part of the Air Force’s Pilot for a Day program. The program “aims to support community children who receive long-term medical care by fostering a professional relationship and welcoming them into their military family,” according to an Air Force article.

From left, Capt. Michael Knapp, 3rd Airlift Squadron chief of standards and evaluation and one of the Pilot for a Day program leads, Kareem Bennett and his family participate in a 3rd AS roll call March 16, 2018, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Bennett and his family were invited by the 3rd AS to participate in their honorary Pilot for a Day program. (Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Jenne/Air Force)

The squadron has a standing partnership with both the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to find children who could benefit from programs like Pilot for a Day.

Bennet has a “chronic disease that is inherited from both parents, and, from time to time, he has to be admitted [to duPont Hospital], especially in the winter months,” his mom said.

But when he was invited to be a Pilot for a Day, Bennett thought it was an occassion for a group of children like him, not just for him.

Kareem Bennett explores the cockpit of a C-17 Globemaster III March 16, 2018, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Bennett and his family were invited to the installation for a private, day-long tour by the 3rd Airlift Squadron. (Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Jenne/Air Force)

“I would think that there were other kids that were coming, but I showed up and I was the only one,” Bennett said. “That’s how I knew this is actually a day for me. I was like, wow!”

“He’s been through a lot,” his mother said. “It’s really hard on his body. It affects his limbs, causing him a lot of pain and making it hard for him to concentrate. It’s nice to have someone else who can relieve some of that stress from him.”

A group of members assigned to Dover Air Force Base, Del., and Holloman AFB, N.M., stand with Kareem Bennett (center) and his family on the deck of a C-17 Globemaster III March 16, 2018, at Dover AFB. Bennett was invited by the 3rd Airlift Squadron to participate in their honorary Pilot for a Day program, where he saw a behind-the-scenes view of the day-to-day mission of the Airmen of various military careers. (Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Jenne/Air Force)

Share:
In Other News
Load More