Prepping the gun

Tech. Sgt. Uwemediimo Essien, 41st Rescue Squadron special missions aviator, inspects a GAU-2/A 7.62 mm minigun during pre-flight checks July 21, 2015, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Essien moved to America from Nigeria when he was 12 years old. He joined the Air Force right out of high school and started his career as a medical administrator before crosstraining into the aerial gunner career field. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Zachary Wolf/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Loading the Pave Hawk

Tech. Sgt. Uwemediimo Essien, 41st Rescue Squadron special missions aviator, prepares to load an HH-60G Pave Hawk during pre-flight checks July 21, 2015, on Moody Air Force Base, Ga. After attaining his U.S. citizenship, Essien applied three times to become an aerial gunner before it merged with flight engineers and became the special missions aviation career field. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Zachary Wolf/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Inspecting the minigun

Tech. Sgt. Uwemediimo Essien, 41st Rescue Squadron special missions aviator, inspects a GAU-2/A 7.62 mm minigun during preflight checks July 21, 2015, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Essien always had an interest in aviation since riding in a helicopter when he was four and decided he wanted to become an aerial gunner after watching an interview online about what they do. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Zachary Wolf/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Pre-flight Inspection

Tech. Sgt. Uwemediimo Essien, 41st Rescue Squadron special missions aviator, inspects a GAU-2/A 7.62 mm minigun during preflight checks July 21, 2015, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. After Basic Aerial Gunner School, Essien went to Fairchild AFB, Wash., for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school that all aircrew and battlefield airmen attend to learn how to survive on their own. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Zachary Wolf/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Pave Hawk ready for action

An HH-60G Pave Hawk rests on the flight line as 41stt Rescue Squadron special missions aviators perform preflight inspections July 21, 2015, on Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Tech. Sgt. Uwemediimo Essien, 41st RQS special missions aviator, said he had trouble with the water survival portion of his training, but spent his time and money practicing treading water at the base pool and went back and passed that portion. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Zachary Wolf/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
A father and an Airman

Tech. Sgt. Uwemediimo Essien, 41stt Rescue Squadron special missions aviator, plays with his daughters before going out to perform pre-flight inspections on an HH-60G Pave Hawk July 21, 2015, on Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Essien said it was important to him to find the balance between his career and family and he‘s lucky to have found someone who understands his job. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Zachary Wolf/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Preparing the Pave Hawk

An HH-60G Pave Hawk rests on the flight line as 41stt Rescue Squadron special missions aviators and 41st Helicopter Maintenance Unit maintenance personnel perform pre-flight inspections July 21, 2015, on Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The Pave Hawk can hold two .50 caliber machineguns or two GAU-2/A 7.62 mm miniguns that are operated by special missions aviators. The 41st RQS that is an HH-60G personnel recovery squadron, specializes in combat rescue of down aircrews and. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Zachary Wolf/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
Pre-flight checks

Tech. Sgt. Uwemediimo Essien, 41stt Rescue Squadron special missions aviator, inspects a GAU-2/A 7.62 mm minigun during preflight checks July 21, 2015, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. This was Essien’s first base as a special mission aviator, where he spent three and a half years, and will be heading to Kirtland AFB, N.M., where he will become an instructor. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Zachary Wolf/Released)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

41st Rescue Squadron Airman's journey from Nigeria to special missions aviator

Published July 28, 2015

Prepping the gun

Loading the Pave Hawk

Inspecting the minigun

Pre-flight Inspection

Pave Hawk ready for action

A father and an Airman

Preparing the Pave Hawk

Pre-flight checks