When Chief Warrant Officer Richard Wienches walked into the V.I. National Guard’s aviation hangar in St. Croix Friday after his final flying mission in the Virgin Islands, several Guardsmen gathered for a surprise ceremony to bid him farewell.
Tears welled up as the veteran pilot, who did two tours of duty in Iraq, said goodbye to the V.I. and the friends and comrades he met here.
Although Wienches is not a member of the V.I. National Guard, he has always been treated like one. Since 2005, he has supported Delta Company 126th Aviation, Detachment 2. D Company 126th AVN is made up of four detachments spread over Pennsylvania, U.S. Virgin Islands, Rhode Island, and Indiana. Wienches belongs to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, but he’s been to St. Croix frequently since 2005.
He thinks it’s upwards of 15, but he’s lost count after so many tours.
“It’s amazing how many people you begin to meet after so many times here,” he said.
Wienches originally started working with Detachment 2 when their unit was deployed to Iraq – most of the pilots were gone, and he came to alleviate the burden and provide support. During 2006, he was here so many times that it became a sort of second home. Most of his trips would last approximately 20 days, and most of that time was spent flying from St. Croix to St. Thomas and Puerto Rico in a C-23 Sherpa, a twin-engine military transport aircraft.
Wienches also celebrated his 61st birthday Thursday, marking his 40th year in the National Guard, which means he must retire. Military policy holds that members are only allowed to serve until their 60th year, unless they get a waiver. He formally retires Mar. 31, 2011, but goes on permanent leave at the end of the year.
A career aviator, Wienches has been flying since he was 17 years old when he earned his private pilot’s license. For 13 years, he flew UH-1 "Huey" helicopters, a fact made apparent when he accepted a plaque with an image of the iconic chopper from Lt. Col. Edgardo Morales, state aviation officer for VING.
“We have really come to rely on CW4 Wienches, and his presence is going to be missed. For the past five years, he has provided excellent support,” Morales said.
While today marked his last mission with the VING, the final mission of his career will likely be the happy task of bringing soldiers from Afghanistan back to Pennsylvania from Fort Benning, Ga.
In addition to the UH-1 plaque, Wienches was also presented a coffee cup and was invited to eat a final dinner, prepared “island-style,” where he joked, “Will there be johnny cakes?”
“The military has been one of the finest organizations I’ve been a part of, and this is a perfect ending to my career,” he said, emotion filling his voice.
