My father retired from the Air Force recently, where he had been an F-16 pilot, amongst other roles, before getting a job with the airlines. To this day, one of my fondest memories, and funniest stories was of one of his fini-flights. My family, having lived in Utah for the past three years, was getting ready to PCS. We had been assigned to Germany, and as such my father was doing his fini-flight with Hill Air Force Base. That morning, walking onto the runway with my mother and younger brother, I didn’t quite understand what this meant to my father, but I knew that everyone around me was excited, a buzz in the air. I myself was excited too, always glad to go to my dad’s work, and see airplanes up close. Standing outside, I watched as the F-16 carrying my father rolled up to the waiting crowd. All the squadron members were waiting in a cluster, armed with duct tape, fire extinguishers filled with water, and champagne, ready to get him when the plane was opened at last. Looking through the canopy as my father powered down the plane, he didn’t look nervous about the crowd, but a bit cheeky. What the squadron, and even my family, didn’t anticipate was the fact that before the flight, my father had filled two huge super soaker waterguns, and stashed them in the cockpit. When the canopy opened, he held them at the ready, prepared to spray everyone else before they could get him! Using the super soakers he utilized the airplane as a vantage point, going after his squadron members. Not even my younger brother and I were spared from the fray, dissolving into laughter as we too had the water guns turned on us. Getting down from the plane, my father was chased around the runway, his coworkers chasing to catch him and confiscate the waterguns. When they managed to tackle him, the duct tape was used to hold down his arms and legs, before they were drenching him in water and champagne. I remember someone even helped me hold the extinguisher and spray him down also, which I did gleefully. Later, after he was cut free of the tape, he chased my brother and I around, giving us sopping wet hugs, cheerfully drenching us in turn. Even though tradition states my father be the one who gets sprayed down, I’ll always remember the way he turned the tables. That is what my father has always done, and always will do, which is bring laughter to any situation. He was, and continues to be driven, teaching me to chase my dreams, but to do so with a smile. He constantly tells me that if I love what I do, I’ll never work a day in my life, and I’ve gotten to see that first hand through my father. He loved getting to fly, and being a part of the Air Force, and so I strive to be like him. To do what I love, and to bring a smile to everyone’s face in every situation.