Chief Warrant Officer 4 Richard "Trey" McCormick of Springfield, Illinois, serving with Detachment 5, A Company, 2nd Battalion 245th Aviation Regiment based in Springfield, Illinois, took his final flights on Sept. 6 in a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter and a Beechcraft C-12 Heron, marking the end of a distinguished aviation career in the Illinois Army National Guard. Family and friends gathered at the airfield to witness the occasion.

McCormick, a Sacred Heart-Griffin High School graduate, began his military service in June 1995 with the active-duty Army. He transitioned to the Illinois Army National Guard in October 2000. In addition to his military service, McCormick retired from the Springfield Fire Department six years ago and currently works full-time for Envoy Air out of Chicago.

"I haven't slowed down enough to really think about retirement yet," McCormick said. "I'm still working with Envoy, and my oldest son, who is a Chief Warrant Officer 2, flies the Chinook now and then. I also have two kids in high school."

McCormick began his military career as an 11 Bravo infantryman and was assigned to the 1st Ranger Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, Georgia, from 1995 to 1998. He later became a CH-47 pilot for 18 years and a C-12 pilot for six years. Notably, he deployed to Afghanistan several times, with his 2009 missions to Combat Outpost Keating and Afghanistan being among his most memorable experiences.

Reflecting on his career, McCormick offered advice to soldiers considering a future in aviation with the Illinois Army National Guard. "Now's the time because there are openings," he said. "It's as awesome as it looks. I enjoyed every moment."

Lucas Bohm, a fellow pilot and long-time friend from Havana, Illinois, praised McCormick's skill and character. "I've known Trey since the day he joined," Bohm said. "We've flown on a lot of missions together, both overseas and in domestic operations. He's one of the smartest people I've ever known and an incredible pilot."

Bohm recalled missions where they flew Chinooks for flood relief efforts, levee-building, and firefighting. Despite Bohm's retirement, their bond remains strong.

"Trey just has a knack for it. His personality is like a magnet; everyone wants to be around him," Bohm added.

Anthony McCormick of Chatham, Illinois, serving with the B Company, 238th Aviation in Peoria, Illinois, said he and his father have flown a few times together since he joined the Illinois Army National Guard six years ago. Anthony's father Chief Warrant Officer 4 McCormick gave his son some advice when he entered the ILARNG.

"I told him at the beginning of being a soldier is pretty easy. If you get a 300 on your PT test, you show up on time ready to work, and you work hard, take instruction. Then the military is going to lay the world out in front of you," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 McCormick. "If you're the soldier that a commander wants, he's going to let you do whatever you want."

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Childers, a colleague from Jacksonville, Illinois, commended McCormick's calm demeanor in high-stress situations.

"He's great in the cockpit-calm in the storm," Childers said. "When things go south, his demeanor doesn't change. He's just a solid pilot."

McCormick plans to continue his aviation career with American Airlines starting in March, and he looks forward to flying until he's 65. His more than 29 years of service include deployments to Djibouti, Africa (2019-2020), and Afghanistan (2009, 2013-2014, and 2017).

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