The woman standing in front of me was wearing a black coat. We all flinched at the rifle fire, sounding so much closer in the freezing December air, but she nearly fell at the first volley. I heard a whimper, whether from her or someone else, I didn't know. Then, the quiet sounds of sniffs and wiped tears as her husband, an older veteran, pulled her closer. Two more sharp cracks of seven rifles each were followed by the mournful notes of "Taps."
Rev died in a nighttime midair collision October 15th of this year while piloting his F-16C off the coast of South Carolina. He and his squadron were preparing to deploy, and the training necessary is sometimes more dangerous than actual combat.
Nick was a bit older when he entered Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT), having spent a few years prior as an Enlisted Airman, and his maturity helped not just himself but his class. In every graduating pilot training class, one or two are selected to be sent through even more training to become FAIPs, First Assignment Instructor Pilots. Nick had done well enough in training to qualify, and volunteered enthusiastically.
I was blessed to get to know Nick and his wife, Leigh, when he was in the middle of his 3-year tour as a FAIP. Back then, we called him "WACO," a name he had picked up in pilot training for an unfortunate incident where his enthusiasm overrode his adherence to procedure and he went into afterburner with the canopy open, or at least attempted to. Needless to say, his check pilot gave him another "opportunity" to try to pass that ride on a future date.
Any IP worth his salt has a deep care for his students ("studs"), but Waco stood out among others. He didn't just want them to learn. He wanted them to succeed. Waco was the kind of guy who, when he asked you, "How are you?" he was looking for an answer, not just giving a greeting. You could see it in his eyes.
Waco's care for his studs and prowess as an IP led to his selection as a Military Training Officer. MTOs supervise a flight of 12 to 15 studs at a time, teaching them not only about flying but also officership. They are the true front-line mentors, forming future warriors for the US and allied air forces, and guiding, helping, and sometimes disciplining very young officers whose thousand-hour mouths often outpace their fifty-hour hands.
Nick and Leigh dove into the lives of the studs and their families, as well as those of other young adults in the community. They were active in the squadron, their neighborhood, and their local church. We got to get to know them quite well, but so did many other people. When their daughter, Grace, was born... well, I could see from the way he held her that first day in the hospital that no matter how good of a FAIP and MTO he was, he'd be an even better father.
Waco did so well in his FAIP tour that he was selected for the F-16C, and last year he headed out the door and on to training. It takes about a year for a pilot, even a FAIP, to become a qualified "Viper" pilot, but he did it in world-class manner. The three of them moved to Shaw AFB, SC, and were eagerly awaiting the birth of their son at the time of Nick's death.
There were probably 200 people, maybe more, at Rev's Arlington funeral, so many that the pre-ceremony waiting room, and even the lobby itself, couldn't hold the crowd. The squadron mates in the four-ship "missing man" fly by, honor guard, military band, priest, and cemetery officials all did a wonderful job making the funeral a fitting and honorable tribute to this fallen hero.
After the ceremony, Quizmo Brown, a leader of the "River Rats" - www.river-rats.org - led comrades in the time-honored "nickel in the grass" tradition, saying goodbye to an incredible friend, brother, and comrade.
The River Rats, through the Air Warrior Courage Foundation, have established a college fund for the Giglio's children. You can learn more about this at either the fund's facebook page or at airwarriorcourage.org. Please note "Nicholas Giglio Family Fund" on your check or in the comments section of the online form.
"So here's a nickel on the grass to you, my friend, and your spirit, enthusiasm, sacrifice and courage - but most of all to your friendship. Yours is a dying breed and when you are gone, the world will be a lesser place." - Unknown
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