By Rachel Engel
LA CROSSE, Wis. — A firefighter was honored with a flight in a U.S. Navy Blue Angel F-18 for his dedication to the community.
Firefighter Engineer Bryon Stein was nominated for the Blue Angel’s Key Influencer award, which is “defined as people who help shape attitudes and opinions of youth in their communities,” per the U.S. Navy Support Manual an LCFD Facebook post read.
Stein was nominated for his work with schoolchildren during the 2020 Fire Prevention Week, and was recently named the LCFD Firefighter of the Year.
During the flight, Stein hit 7.4Gs, but remained alert throughout his time in the air.
“It was a once in a lifetime experience I will be forever grateful for. The Blue Angels set the standard of excellence in aviation and I am so proud to have been able to experience flying with them.”