Gunfighter pilot honored by Jaycees

Published Sept. 28, 2006
By Heath Druzin
Idaho Statesman

MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- As a young boy, Capt. Eric Schultz, dreamed of being an astronaut. As a young man, he couldn't become a military pilot because of his poor eyesight.
For 10 years, during which the military denied him entrance three times, he did the next best thing: earning a doctorate in aerospace engineering. But his dream of flight took off again when Schultz underwent laser eye surgery and the Air Force accepted him as a pilot.

Now, the Boise resident, who flies fighter jets out of Mountain Home Air Force Base, is one of the 2006 Ten Outstanding Young Americans. It's a national honor awarded annually to Americans ages 18 to 40 since 1940 by the Jaycees, the U.S. Junior Chamber. Past winners include actress Ann Bancroft and Presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.

"You look at that list of past honorees, and you're like, 'Holy cow!' You're really humbled," Captain Schulz said.

Captain Schultz's circuitous path to the Air Force began as a freshman at Pennsylvania State University, when he tried to join a Reserve Officer Training Program but was denied due to poor eyesight.

Instead, he took a civilian job with the Navy as a flight engineer while still in school. Captain Schultz, 33, did not give up, working as a business development director for an aerospace company and racking up college degrees. His most recent is a 2000 doctorate in aerospace engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

In 2001, after the Air Force began accepting pilots who had undergone corrective eye surgery, Captain Schultz finally got the chance to fly. Now he's soaring in F-15 jets for the 391st Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base.

Despite his earlier frustrations, when Captain Schultz looks at the experience and his educational opportunities gained outside the military, he regrets nothing.

"In hindsight, it almost could not have worked out better," he said.

Captain Schultz's commanding officer, Lt. Col. Brian Kirkwood, agrees, saying Captain Schultz has life experience many younger airmen lack.

"He's a great role model," Colonel Kirkwood said.

Colonel Kirkwood said Captain Schultz's educational background is unprecedented for an Air Force captain, and his achievements made him a perfect candidate for the Outstanding Young American award.

"I've never worked with, and certainly never commanded, someone with a Ph.D.," said Colonel Kirkwood, who helped nominate Captain Schultz for the award.

The award is presented by the Jaycees to recognize future American leaders.

"Too many times we see too much negativity going on," said Brad Gemeinhart, Jaycees communication director. "This is a way to accentuate and highlight the positive."

Captain Schultz will attend the black tie award presentation Saturday in Indianapolis, where he will receive an 18-pound nickel-plated trophy. He says he loves flying jets, but his goal remains in space.

"Who knows where space is going to take us, but clearly it's the next frontier in transportation," he said.

Captain Schultz is determined to reach the cosmos but is realistic about his astronaut dream, acknowledging the difficulty of getting into the space program.

"As long as I'm enjoying what I'm doing, and I'm contributing positively, that's all that counts," he said.

Gunfighter pilot honored by Jaycees

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