As a child meticulously gluing wings onto the bodies of model airplanes, U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Benjamin Hovies had no idea that one day he would sit behind the controls of a full-sized CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter.

Hailing from Lebanon, Tennessee, and home-schooled until college, Hovies joined the Marine Corps to fly. Though unable to participate in school sports, he grew up loving the outdoors and discovered joy in things like rock climbing and scuba diving, but he always dreamed of being an aircraft pilot.

"When I was a kid, my brother and I liked aviation. I was always fascinated by planes," he said. "As I grew, that fascination never went away. If you had asked me what I wanted to do even when I was five years old, I would have told you I wanted to be a pilot."

In 2011 he focused on his lifetime goal. With the help of the Marine Corps he made it a reality.

"I joined because the Marine Corps [is] a class of people I wanted to be a part of," said Hovies. "I've stayed because of the people I work with. The job isn't as romantic as the commercials, but I love it."

With six years under his belt as a Marine Corps pilot, Hovies continues to fulfill his childhood dream.

After attending the Merchant Marine Academy in Rhode Island, as his dream was coming to fruition, he knew he would be a pilot, though he didn't know what kind of aircraft he would fly.

According to Hovies, each pilot gets a vote in his or her aircraft, but the assignments are largely based on test scores, areas of expertise, and physical ability. The needs of the Marine Corps ultimately take precedence.

"As a kid I never would have told you I wanted to be a helicopter pilot, just that I wanted to be a pilot," he said. "The process they use to decide is very fair and to be honest, I haven't met a single pilot who would do things differently given the chance."

Smiling as he dons his flight gear for a long day in the air, the child who spent his time constructing miniature aircraft shines through. After sitting through hours of meetings, planning and instruction, everything comes together and is the way it should be the moment he takes off from the flight deck.

Hovies is assigned to the Blue Knights of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced) and is embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5).

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