Hometown hero flies with Thunderbirds

FAIRCHILD AFB – Airway Heights Youth Engagement Specialist (YES) Officer Patrick Carbaugh got the chance to fly with the Air Force Thunderbirds after being nominated as a Hometown Hero for the region.

Major Jake Impellizzeri took Carbaugh into a straight vertical climb after liftoff, putting him under six G's of force. His body was under pressure equal to six times the force of gravity, and in another part of the flight, Impellizzeri took Carbaugh up to nine G's.

"It was super intense and exciting," Carbaugh said. "There was a moment where I thought I might get sick but I held on and didn't pass out either."

Carbaugh received the nomination for his hard work and dedication in trying to improve the lives of kids in the Cheney School District.

Carbaugh has been with the Airway Heights Police Department (AHPD) since 2016 and has been developing programs that can help at-risk youth in the area. Having to deal with many struggles in his youth, Carbaugh can relate to the at-risk kids.

"I grew up in Airway Heights in a home that was broken by addiction," Carbaugh said. "My mother then passed away when I was 11 and my father raised me as a single father with the resources he had."

Carbaugh said the early struggles motivated him to sign up for the Marines, but an unexpected surgery resulted in a medical discharge. Turning another corner, he gained an interest in criminal justice and pursued a career in the industry.

Carbaugh is now organizing a partnership with Peak7 to mentor at-risk youth and give them opportunities for outdoor adventures. He said that getting the kids interested in something besides troublesome activity can provide them with direction when that can otherwise be hard to find.

"We want to take kids from the Cheney School District and give them a chance to go on adventures like backpacking, hiking, and whitewater rafting," Carbaugh said.

His father, Patrick Jay Carbaugh, said watching his son being honored with a flight has been fantastic because he knows how hard his son has worked to get to this point in life.

"It's beyond cool and almost more divine," he said. "The obstacles that he had to personally overcome growing up in Airway Heights after his mother died really drove him to fight and work for a better life. Getting passed the past has been huge."