As Travis KC-10 pilot passed 100th combat sortie, Plano native says she was reminded of her thankfulness to serve
Capt. Hillary Wykes, a KC-10 Extender pilot with the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, stands by the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's Sept. 11, 2001, memorial at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia on Jan. 13, 2010. Captain Wykes is a six-year Air Force veteran and recently completed her 100th combat sortie. On Sept. 11, 2001, Captain Wykes was a flight attendant for United Airlines. She said those events changed her life and led to her joining the military and becoming a pilot. Captain Wykes is deployed from the 9th Air Refueling Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and her hometown is Plano, Ill. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol/Released)