hile visiting injured soldiers one sunny Friday afternoon at Fort Riley, Kan., Scott Hallock overheard a distressed young man’s plea for assistance.
An Army sergeant and combat veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder needed a ride home to Minnesota to attend the funeral of a friend killed in Afghanistan. The service was at 10 a.m. the next morning, there were no commercial flights available and it was too late to drive the 500-plus miles. Hallock, hearing the pain in the man’s voice and seeing the urgency in his eyes, jumped into action.
“I guess we’re going flying then,” Hallock said as he prepared for a late afternoon flight up north.
“For me, the opportunity to help that young warrior was great,” says Hallock, a First Command District Advisor in Manhattan, Kan., and former Army Master Parachutist. “I mean, two hours and ten minutes after we left that office, we were in Preston, Minnesota, and he was hugging his dad. There is no other way that could have happened.”
It wasn’t the first time Hallock has reached out to a soldier in need. Since leaving the Army, he has made quite a habit of it.
“It’s all about volunteerism to me,” he says.
A member of the non-profit organization Veterans Airlift Command, Hallock is one of about 1,500 former military pilots who volunteer time, money and their own planes to transport soldiers and their families across the country for medical emergencies and other urgent needs.
Hallock joined the organization soon after it was founded by former Army Aviator Walt Fricke in 2006.
“Scott’s really got a heart for these kids,” Fricke says. “He’s a great guy who’s been very supportive. He’s flown a number of missions, made some connections and really helped us recruit pilots.”
Hallock joined the Army as an infantryman in 1969 during the Vietnam War. He entered Officer Candidate School in 1970 and earned Special Forces qualifications. He served for 16 years, becoming a First Command client in 1980. He separated from the military as a major in 1986.
Following his successful military career, Hallock became a First Command Financial Advisor in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Hallock excelled in his new career, earning a reputation as a skilled Financial Advisor and natural leader. Over the years, as he progressed within the company, Hallock came to appreciate the value of volunteering and community activism.
Now as a District Advisor, he leads his offices in charitable efforts throughout the year, from baking cakes for the historical society to teaching Cub Scouts about the ins and outs of flying.
“It was really great,” Hallock says about a recent visit from a Cub Scout pack. “The scouts were learning about airplanes that week, so I brought them down to see the plane. I told them what it was like to be a pilot and about all the stuff we do. It was just another opportunity to pay it forward – and it’s right in line with First Command’s priorities.”
For now, Hallock can be found back in Kansas, working with advisors and supporting client families, waiting for the next call to duty, which, he says, is always just around the corner.
Veterans Airlift Command provides free air transportation to wounded warriors and their families. To contact the organization for assistance, to donate funds or to get involved, call (952) 582-2911 or e-mail info@veteransairlift.org.