Honoring Jason Thacker
Huntington native Jason Thacker is in the spotlight this week for Greenbear Digital Media’s “Military Monday”, our way of expressing gratitude for the brave men and women who have served this country through the military.
Jason Thacker, son of Belinda and Larry Thacker, graduated from Huntington North High School with the class of 2012. He played golf for HNHS and his hobbies include drag racing, hunting and fishing. He has two siblings, Joshua and Amanda.
He is married to Josie Thacker and together they have two children, Oliver and Archer. He currently serves full-time as a UH-60L pilot in the Indiana Army National Guard and lives in Hobart, Indiana.
When asked who or what inspired him to go down this path in life, Jason responded, “Although I was very young, I still remember 9/11 like it was yesterday and the patriotism that brought everyone together.” He also shared that, shortly after that day, an older cousin enlisted and deployed in Afghanistan and he “wanted to follow in his footsteps” when he was old enough.
Jason enlisted in the Army National Guard as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Operator in July of 2013. He completed his basic training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, and served as a UAV Operator from 2013 to 2019. Since then, he as been an Aeromedical Evacuation Pilot, flying hte UH-60L Black Hawk. He has been stationed in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Fond memories that Jason looks back on include getting to fly a Black Hawk in the 2022 Fort Wayne Airshow, conducting a Combat Search and Rescue demonstration with the A-10’s from the 122nd Fighter Wing, as well as being able to participate in the fly-ver for the Chicago White Sox’s opening day game during the same year.
“Looking back, I would not have changed a thing,” Jason says.
Jason has nine more years until retirement, and then plans to either transition to flying helicopter for EMS or flying for airlines.
Comments