Q&A With Brock Barrett, Chairman of Air Calvary

Former US Army captain Brock Barrett left military service for a life as an insurance agent, but his Christian drive to help others led to missionary flights and support as chairman of Air Calvary.

Where did you fly with the army?

I served as an attack helicopter platoon leader with the air cavalry on the demilitarised zone in South Korea, and as a scout helicopter platoon leader with the air cavalry in Alaska. As a young boy, I always wanted to be a soldier. Growing up in the Vietnam era, I was fascinated with the concept of air mobility, and working in complex and difficult environments.

There's only one paid employee?

We had an opportunity to create a full-time air ambulance programme for the Central African country of Gabon, where we own and operate a Cessna 207, an eight-seat, single-engined bush aircraft. This programme was developed and led by our one paid employee, Reverend/pilot/mechanic Steve Straw. It connects the capital city and other communities to the remote and renowned Bongolo hospital near the Republic of Congo border.