Veteran Salute: Keeping aircrafts sky bound
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Originally from Illinois before calling the sunflower state home, Scott McMillan put his leadership abilities to the test through the Marine Corps, keeping aircraft sky bound and safe.
“When I was younger I wanted to join the military," McMillan said, "and I had enlisted first in the Air Force, because I wanted to be a pilot.”
That branch didn't pan out for McMillan, but his interest in aircraft caught the attention of a Marine Corps recruiter. He would enlist under that branch before his senior year of high school, and serve in quite a unique home duty station.
“I was stationed in Iwakuni Japan," he said. "Went up to Mount Fuji for weapons training and then we went back up in support of a rotor wing squadron that was supporting a ground unit there.”
Returning stateside to Bogue Field in North Carolina, Scott took on a leadership role.
“I was in charge of aviation fuel in the fuel pits for aircraft," McMillan said. "We were fixed and rotor wing aircraft refuellers. I enjoyed working with the aircraft, it was nice to be around, the ground crews were really good to work with, the pilots were really good to work with.”
Having fellow crew members he could rely on made all the difference in his day to day.
“It was a big responsibility," McMillan said. "Our primary job when we’d go into combat, was to be able to be mobile. If we were going to be overrun, we’d have to pack everything up and take it with us. We would go in in the morning, the first thing we’d have to do was we’d have to test the fuel. If the fuel didn’t come out the way we needed it to be when we tested it, we’d have to shut it down. If the fuel wasn’t good, nothing would fly.”
After his service ended, McMillan worked on the civilian security team for the Kansas Army National Guard in Topeka.
His last name might look familiar, Scott's Wife, Janell McMillan, was featured in last week's Veteran Salute segment. The pair met in Cherry Point, North Carolina and have six grandchildren keeping them busy nowadays.