Blog #20 - Col. Mark Tillman

Welcome back to another week of my aviation blog at Western Michigan University College of Aviation. This past week I got an amazing opportunity to listen to Colonel Mark Tillman, who was the commander of Air Force One from 2001-2009 under president George W. Bush! Tillman came to the college of aviation to speak with us about safety in aviation, as well as share some of his stories about keeping one of the most important people in the world safe while traveling. Tillmans job was to ensure the safety of the president and his guests, but also making sure to protect the asset of a Boeing 747 that is invaluable to the safety of the president.

Tillman spoke to us about the events that transpired on 9/11, and how his team had to respond to what was happening in aviation on that tragic day. It was amazing to hear how they were well prepared for the situation due to the mass amount of training they went through prior, and how it was almost routine for them. He also spoke about how he had to make decisions for everyone on that day, and how he had to respond to new information that they were given as events transpired.

This was an amazing opportunity for me and my peers to hear from Col. Mark Tillman, and it was very interesting to hear about how the president is kept safe especially when our country is under attack. The stories that he told us will stay with me forever and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to hear him speak.