Our Story
Jake always wanted to be a pilot in the military. It was his dream job.
He began trying different options at 18 years old, starting with the Navy. When that didn’t work out, he served a mission for our church instead. After we married and we were living in Alaska, he would regularly visit the recruiter, trying to find a path to his dream. Instead he was met with obstacles. Those early years were tough. Jacob was born weighing just two pounds. We’d only been married a year … oh man, it rocked our world. Then Juanita was stillborn. Postpartum depression and grief took center stage. Meanwhile Jake was going to school full time, working full time, and starting a carpentry business. I was managing apartments.
Some people look back on their early struggles and see them as their happiest times. That wasn’t the case for us. I wouldn’t use the word miserable… though maybe I would. 
Y’all, we came close to splitting up. We stood on the precipice. We didn’t understand each other and life kept handing us lessons to learn. I look back and I wonder how we made it. Actually, I know how. But that’s a story for another day.
I remember a conversation we had after a call from the recruiter. Because of the scores on his AFOQT, his chances of getting a navigator slot were much better than a pilot position. As we pondered the options it felt like a good enough choice. He’d still be in the military. He’d still be flying. We’d finally have health insurance, a paycheck… We told each other, “Of course we should take it, right? This is good enough.” But I looked at him and remembered his dream. “Jake, your dream is to be a pilot. I think you should keep trying.” So he did and we continued to navigate the struggles of those early years, not knowing if that dream would come true, but never giving up.
He took private pilot ground school as a class in college and worked toward learning to fly. But it took months to save the money for just one flight lesson. Meanwhile he was working his ass off to provide for our family. Then it happened and it came like an unexpected gift from God. One day I’ll share the full story, because it was truly miraculous. Jake was invited to interview with the Alaska Air National Guard for a pilot position. We didn’t have the money to buy a suit coat for him to wear, so he took his old Alaska Airlines Customer Service Blazer out of the closet. He cut off the gaudy gold Alaska Airlines buttons and sewed on new ones.
The night before the interview he was so nervous. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. This was his shot. The next day he sat among candidates much more qualified than he. Graduates with pilot licenses, aeronautical degrees, military experience. Jake sat there with his log of 5 hours flight time, a degree in Spanish (not fully completed yet), and a background in construction. But damn, he had passion and commitment. He had dreamed of this opportunity his whole life.
The day the letter came he was working at a job site, dressed in carharts and covered in construction dust. I drove the letter to him and he stood in front of the car as he opened it. His hands shaking- both from nerves and from the bitter Alaska cold. The smile on his face as he read the letter and read it again was priceless. He was offered the position as an HC-130 pilot with the Alaska Air National Guard. After all those years, his dream came true. It felt like a sweet reward after 5 years of marriage on the struggle bus.
But the story doesn’t end there. In fact… this next part is the most important part.
We left for pilot training the next year. Jake was almost 28 years old, we’d been married 6 years and had 2 kids. We’d experienced more in our life at that point than most. We were the old folks. Right out of the gate, pilot training kicked Jake’s ass. Everyone struggles, it’s designed that way. But Jake’s overwhelm was palpable daily. This was his DREAM! He had sacrificed so much just to get here. Shouldn’t it be easier? Nope. This is where it got excruciating. Day after day he was met with resistance and another struggle. He came home from flying one day, defeated and exhausted. He said to me, “Aim, I think I’m going to SIE (Self initiated elimination). We had a good life in Alaska. I can go back and start my business up again. I’m just not cut out to be a pilot.” He was ready to quit.
This dream that he’d wanted his whole life? It was in his sight, but the ask was really big. In the moment it felt too big. It felt like he wasn’t smart enough, capable enough, talented enough. In Jake’s mind everyone else was succeeding, and he wasn’t. There was obviously something wrong and this wasn’t his path.
We had a choice to make in that moment. Chalk this up to an experience that wasn’t for us and go home? Or… fight like hell?
I looked at Jake and simply said, “Over my dead body are you quitting now. You can do this.”
It wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He was scared. He truly didn’t know if he had it in him. Quitting seemed better than failing. It seemed like the choice that would be the least painful and easier on us all. Though it wasn’t what he wanted to hear, it was what he needed to hear.
It was time. Jake needed to make THE decision. The one that makes all the difference. He had to go all in and block the chicken exits. He had to commit.He did. He decided he would either graduate or they could kick him out, but he wasn’t going to quit.
Pilot training didn’t get easier. But because he was committed there was only one direction… through.
Many miracles and the Grace of God later, Jake graduated and became an Air Force Pilot. He has over 4500 hours of flight time, including 1800 combat hours. He received an Air Medal during his time in Afghanistan. He’s a strong, capable pilot who has saved countless lives. Here’s the thing with big dreams… they reveal our weaknesses. They show us our flaws. They demand a price that scares the hell out of us. But the only way to get where you want to be is by blocking the chicken exits. You have to go all in. Your dream is on the other side of that fear of failure. It’s on the other side of risk. I hope if you are working towards a dream today, you make the commitment. God shows up when He knows you are all in.
Happy Veterans Day Jake!
I’m so grateful for your example.
Hi! I'm Amy Earle
When I was a kid I was obsessed with government and history. I was sure I’d be a high school history teacher. Instead I chose to homeschool my own children. Soon after beginning, I was introduced to the principles of leadership education and the importance of teaching children how to think, instead of simply filling them with what to think. This led me on a journey that changed everything for me. We’ve gone the path less traveled and it has made all the difference.