5 BW Airmen chase lifelong dreams

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Apryl Hall
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Years ago they were just kids with really big dreams. He wanted to be the United States Air Force's go-to test engineer, and she was determined to be an astronaut. Recently, they both found out they are one step closer to achieving those dreams.

Capt. Mark Brodie, 5th Operations Support Squadron electronic warfare officer, and Capt. Christin Mastracchio, 69th Bomb Squadron flight commander, were recently selected to attend the USAF Test Pilot School. The near year-long program allows attendees to fly up to 30 different aircraft, perfecting their flying skills and aircraft knowledge, and will ultimately earn them a master's degree in Flight Test Engineering.

"I'm really looking forward to flying all the different aircraft," Brodie said. "We'll fly anything from an F-18 to the Goodyear Blimp, so just to see a diversity of platforms will be really cool."

Brodie has wanted to be a test engineer since he was a kid, he said. When his commander took him aside to let him know he was selected to attend TPS, he knew he was on his way.

"Having come from graduating college to getting through flight school to doing everything here, it's exciting," Brodie said. "Now six years later, I finally get here. It's a dream."

With his personal goals on the exact path he had hoped, Brodie is now looking at the bigger picture. He wants to better the Air Force with the knowledge he'll gain at TPS.

"What I really want to do is become the Air Force's go-to test combat systems officer for anything EWO, bomber or nuke related," Brodie said. "Being able to develop that technology that's going to help keep the U.S. one step ahead of our adversaries, so we can have that credible nuclear deterrent, now that's putting the engineering degree to good use."

For Mastracchio, her dream started at just three-years-old. Growing up in Houston, Texas near NASA Johnson Space Center, she was no stranger to a career in space. Her tricycle was shaped as a space shuttle and she was never seen without her astronaut Cabbage Patch Doll.

"I was always interested in space, but when I was 13-years-old, that's when I got really serious about it," Mastracchio said.

When discussing what she wanted to do when she grew up, her father asked her what she was most passionate about, what she would pay to do. Her reply was a no-brainer.

"I said the only thing I would pay to do instead of get paid to do is fly in space," Mastracchio said. "So that's when I looked up to see what I needed to do, and it turns out one avenue toward applying to be an astronaut is this exact route I'm on."

A dream 17 years in the making, including attending the USAF Academy and getting an engineering degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mastracchio has had her TPS package prepared for almost three years.  Finally reaching the required amount of flying hours, this year was the first year she met every prerequisite. Needless to say, she was ecstatic to get called in for the interview.

"I've been preparing my whole life for this," Mastracchio said. "The whole interview process was nerve-racking. For 17 years I've been working for this exact goal."

In a dramatic fashion, her commander informed her of her selection in front of her entire squadron. He told the group he was tired of losing quality Airmen to other squadrons. As Mastracchio stood there confused, her commander then quickly replaced her Knighthawks patch on her flight suit with a TPS patch that read "ACCEPTED" across the top.

"I just couldn't believe it," Mastracchio said. "It was really exciting."

Now that Brodie and Mastracchio have officially been accepted, they can relax and focus on preparing for the course, which begins in July. They both agree their time with the 5th Bomb Wing gives them a slight advantage going into the team-oriented program.

"The B-52 is such a great place to come from for doing developmental tests," Mastracchio said. "It's worth it to have flown on a crew aircraft and to have to always work together in order to prepare for something like this."

Whether Brodie and Mastracchio end up reaching their end goals or not, they both know they have checked every box, they agreed-- and they've enjoyed every step along the way.

"It's an adventurous lifestyle," Mastracchio said. "I'll never be sad if I never get to be an astronaut because the road has been so thrilling. I won't be sad because I will have done everything I needed to do. I will have all the right stuff. This is it."