In the heart of the Mojave Desert skies, this 26-year-old 1st Lt., Vince T. Sanchez, keeps his eyes sharp and his mission sharper. A helicopter pilot with the U.S. Army Reserve’s 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, Sanchez is part of the elite 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade based out of Fort Carson, Colorado. But today, the Littleton, Colorado. native is serving on active duty, supporting Mojave Falcon 2025, an immense Army Reserve training operation that brings together a full spectrum of forces.

The scale of the exercise is truly massive. Mojave Falcon 2025 is a multi-faceted premiere Army Reserve Training exercise that integrates combat support training exercise (CSTX), Global Medic, Quartermaster Liquid Logistics Exercise (QLLEX), Port Operations and Nationwide Move, which trains Army reserve units to operate in a Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO), which include specialists from multiple warfare fields that include theater entry level through corps sustainment and battlefield operations that includes more than 9,000 troops from California, North Carolina, Idaho, Wisconsin, and Texas, which takes place from May 28 through June 11, 2025.

For Sanchez, the mission is as personal as it is professional.

“Knowing you are someone's last or only hope and you get them out is very rewarding and is what drives our MEDEVAC unit,” says Sanchez, reflecting on his dual role as both a MEDEVAC and troop transport pilot. “It’s one of the fastest and safest ways to get where you need to be.”

Whether he's extracting injured soldiers under fire or inserting Special Forces teams deep into remote terrain, Sanchez moves with quiet precision.

“We often work with Special Forces Operators and train them on MEDEVAC capabilities and conduct hoist operations. I'm always impressed by how professional and knowledgeable my unit is while working with elite members of the United States military,” said Sanchez.

Sanchez’s passion for flying and service runs deep, rooted not just in duty but in identity. “I love my job,” says Sanchez, but with the steady conviction of someone who has made peace with both risk and responsibility.

And that calling doesn’t end when the uniform comes off. On the civilian side, Sanchez has his eyes set on becoming an air ambulance pilot. The desire to serve, whether in combat zones or emergency scenes, is a dedication that runs through his entire family. From medical professionals to law enforcement officers, service is the family’s shared language.

For 1st Lt. Vince T. Sanchez, the mission is never just about flying, it’s about showing up where others can’t and doing what others won’t. And as long as there are lives to save and soldiers to move, he’ll be in the cockpit ready for the next call.