'Disability' Is A Mental, Not Physical, State... This Marine
Proves It
Adam Kisielewski shouldn't be alive. From the instant he passed
through an explosives-rigged door in Iraq on August 21st in 2005,
Adam has been living his second life, the one given to him by his
own fighting spirit and the wonders of modern battlefield
medicine.
It was only a month and two days after Adam's deployment to Iraq
began when his squad was given the assignment of clearing a school
of suspected insurgents. The blast cost Adam his left arm at the
shoulder and his right leg below his knee, and it cost the life of
his fellow Marine, Lieutenant James "Cat" Cathey, mortally wounded
as the two men were on a room to room search. The actions of his
squad, an immediate evacuation in a Humvee to a field hospital, and
the superior emergency care he received gave him the opportunity to
live. From Iraq he was airlifted to Germany, and then, in five
days, Adam was back "home", with home being Bethesda Naval Hospital
for seven weeks, and then Walter Reed for eleven months of intense
rehabilitation for his catastrophic injuries.
Now, a little more than six years since his new life began, Adam
and his wife Carrie have a young son named Evan, he is the
vice-president of Operation Second Chance, a nonprofit created to
serve other wounded veterans, and he's an avid motorcyclist. But
for the Marine who once had the honor and responsibility of serving
a tour on the presidential protection detail at Camp David, there
is another goal left unfulfilled until now. He wants to be a
pilot.
In his scholarship application he wrote, "Like everything else
in my life I believed I could accomplish the goal of becoming an
aviator but recognized serious hurdles when it comes to learning to
fly with my injuries. The Able Flight Scholarship would afford me
the opportunity to learn how to fly safely in a modified aircraft
that I never thought would be available. Furthermore, I would be
learning to fly from an experienced group of individuals that
recognize disabilities being more of an opportunity than a
disqualification. "
With his work at Operation Second Chance keeping him close to
Walter Reed, Adam's training will take place near his home in
Frederick, Maryland with the assistance of instructors Dave
Hirschman (Senior Editor of AOPA PILOT Magazine), and former Air
Force Colonel, Vietnam vet and F-16 test pilot, Dean Stickell.
Adam will learn to fly in a Flight Design trainer being provided
to Able Flight under contract from Northampton Aeronautics of the
Northampton Airport in Maine and the aircraft owner, Joe D'Aguair.
Of their decision to send the plane to Frederick, Rich MacIssac of
Northampton said, "We believe in exposing as many people as
possible to aviation. One way we do this is by proving how
accessible aviation can be. The opportunity to work with Able
Flight and provide our Flight Design CTLS with the hand controls is
a perfect example of that."
"Adam's story is a powerful reminder of the sacrifice and the
spirit of the many men and women who serve in harm's way, and their
willingness to risk everything", said Charles Stites of Able
Flight. "He is a determined young man who tells all who will listen
that he feels that he has been given so much by having the
opportunity to serve. Well, now it's our opportunity to give back
by helping him realize his dream of leaning to fly."
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