Bobby Guffey’s friends and family waited patiently as they searched the blue evening sky for his Kiowa Warrior Scout Helicopter last Wednesday. Then they could hear the roar of his propellers as he neared the Scottsboro Municipal Airport, and like magic his helicopter appeared, gliding over tree lines and whipping around to make his much anticipated landing. Bobby hails from Grant, and this occasion was the first time in his six years as a pilot that he has been able to land so close to home. He said, “It’s always been on the bucket list of things I’ve always wanted to do.” He was greeted with hugs and smiles from many of his family members, including his triplet niece and nephews who turned 5 years old the day before and considered seeing their Uncle Bobby and sitting in his Kiowa one of the best birthday presents ever.

Bobby is a Chief Warrant Officer 2 in a Pale Rider troop of the U.S. Army and is stationed at Ft. Drum in New York.  In his eleven years as a member of the U.S. Army he has completed four tours of duty, two in Iraq and two in Afghanistan.  He is a maintenance test pilot, which means if someone has a problem with a helicopter he flies it to figure out what’s wrong with it. He said, “My job is to ensure combat readiness of aircraft.”

He and his partner, Keith Lacy, flew to Scottsboro from Ft. Hood, Texas. Their Kiowa had been in maintenance since their return from Afghanistan last October. This was a happy trip for both Bobby and Keith because after they departed from Scottsboro they stopped in Sophia, W. Va., which happens to be in the area of Keith’s hometown. They returned to Ft. Drum on Friday.

Bobby posed for pictures with his family, showed the kids the cockpit of his helicopter while they tried on his pilot helmet and took in the experience of marking something off of his bucket list. “It’s a thrill,” he said, “especially to see everyone I know. It’s a good moment.”

Bobby looks forward to June when he will be moving to North Carolina. “We’ll be a lot closer to home, and that’s pretty cool,” he said.

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