APPLY FOR THE WILLIAM H. "PYRO" DUBOIS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Thank you for considering applying for the Capt. William H. “PYRO” DuBois Jr. Memorial Scholarship, to be known as “The PYRO”. More importantly, thank you for your service and your commitment to the safety and protection of The United States of America.

This Scholarship is intended to memorialize our son by helping a “contracted” AFROTC Cadet get flight instruction through to receiving his/her Private Pilot’s License, if the Cadet wishes to, prior to graduation and thereby hopefully to aid in the selection of a coveted “Pilot Slot” in The United States Air Force. In order to qualify, you must be a “Contracted Cadet” in the AFROTC. Competition is fierce for these pilot slots and the Air Force only selects the “best of the best” candidates.

If you are someone who thinks, “Gee, it might be fun to learn to fly,” you are not the candidate we are looking for. We are looking for the candidate that has the strongest desire to serve as a USAF Pilot, the best of the best, and has made a commitment to serve in The United States Air Force.

Capt. William H. “PYRO” DuBois Memorial Scholarship

On December 1, 2014, the world lost a hero doing what he loved, flying the “Mighty Viper” F-16 as he bravely battled ISIS in the Middle East. Will “PYRO” DuBois was born on August 14, 1984, and lived a life of adventure, travel, sports, love, and immense friendship in his short 30 years. His youth was spent participating in sports of all kinds from basketball, soccer, baseball, and swimming to eventing horses competing in the North American Young Riders Championship.  While attending Rifle High School, Will was involved in choir, soccer, track, school plays, the National Honor Society, and was elected senior class president.

The Air Force awarded Will a full-ride ROTC scholarship in Aerospace Engineering which allowed him to graduate with honors at the University of Colorado Boulder. Will received several honors while at CU including being selected as Cadet Commander culminating with the Distinguished Graduate award from the 105th ROTC detachment unit. Although Will was dedicated to academics, leadership, and becoming the best Air Force officer, he found time to be a founding brother of the CU chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.  Upon graduation, he learned that he was accepted into an elite pilot training program, ENJJPT (Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training) at Sheppard AFB.

At Sheppard, Will graduated 2nd in his class, was awarded the Top Formation Pilot and a pilot slot in “The Mighty Viper” F-16. Will then proceeded on to F-16 training at Luke AFB where he earned the “Air to Ground Top Gun Award”.

His first assignment in 2011 was Kunsan AFB in the ROK where he proudly flew for the 35th fighter squadron, the “Pantons,” and earned the call sign “PYRO”! While there he received 3 of their most prestigious awards, “The Trifecta” as Col. Paul Murray, 20th Operations Group Commander-Shaw AFB, put it. He was the Company Grade Officer of the Quarter, Wingman of the Quarter, and once again won the squadron’s “Top Gun” award. Col. Murray acknowledged that it is very rare for one officer to receive all three. PYRO was at Kunsan an extra 6 months receiving his FLUG, Flight Lead Upgrade.

In 2014 Will returned to the U.S. and was based at Shaw AFB in the 77th fighter squadron, The Gamblers, “The World’s Greatest!”. While at Shaw, he became an F-16 Instructor Pilot.

Later that year, “PYRO,” acting as a combat flight commander, led his squadron to the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve where he lost his life when his F-16 crashed after helping his wingman resolve a mechanical malfunction and ensuring his wingman would land safely.

Memorial Scholarship

“The Pyro” is intended to help a “contracted” AFROTC cadet get flight instruction and his/her Private Pilot’s License, if he/she wishes, prior to graduation thereby giving them an edge in being selected for a “pilot slot” in the U.S. Air Force. Achieving your PPL is NOT a requirement. The scholarship includes all plane rentals, fuel, ground school & in-cockpit flight instruction in a single-engine aircraft as well as Private Pilot’s gear and home study equipment.

Eligibility

• Must be a Det. 105 AFROTC Cadet
• Must be a “contracted” AFROTC Cadet in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Must have a desire to be a fighter pilot
• Demonstrates leadership abilities
• Be respected by his/her peers in both the military and community
• Demonstrates caring for others
• Displays a “zest for life” (i.e. sports, hobbies, passions, etc.)
• Recommendation from Det. Commander
• Candidate Video statement

Our Commitment to the Candidate

“The Pyro” is a full, single-engine, private pilot flight training scholarship. This includes all plane rentals, fuel, ground school as well as in cockpit flight instruction in a single-engine aircraft. We will also provide the scholarship recipient with a ANR noise canceling headset, Private Pilots Kit and Private Pilot multimedia home study & prep guide. We want and expect you to succeed. The value of this scholarship caps out at $11,200.00. This represents a considerable monetary commitment on our part. We feel this is worth it as it is an investment in the future leadership of our military and our country. The memorial scholarship fund will make payments directly to the flight school on behalf of the scholarship recipient. We have once again selected the Rocky Mountain Flight School at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport just minutes south of Boulder in Broomfield for the flight training. They have a fleet of top quality, well-maintained aircraft, and excellent instructors. This is also where “PYRO” got his private pilot’s license.

The Candidate's Commitment to Us

It is a privilege and an honor to receive “The PYRO.” The recipient must commit his/her self to participate in Private Pilot Instruction with a licensed flight instructor and build your flight hours! You must also fulfill your commitment to the USAF.

If you feel you are the right candidate, please fill out the application. If you know another Cadet that you believe is who we are looking for, please encourage them to apply. Teamwork is a hallmark of the USAF.

We are seeking individuals that will become our future leaders.

Sincerely,

The DuBois Family

Instructions to Apply

APPLICATION DEADLINE: ALL DOCUMENTS AND VIDEOS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 11:59pm on the first Sunday of every March.

What You Must Submit:

The application form completely filled out. Don’t leave any details out. We are interested in finding out who you are. Your name typed in the signature field constitutes your signature.

A letter of recommendation from your AFROTC Detachment Commander, plus any other letters of recommendation you may obtain.

Two character reference letters from different (non-family) individuals

A photograph of yourself in Cadet Service dress.

A video, 4-minute maximum, telling your story, your military aspirations and why you feel you are the person we are looking for to receive The Pyro. (Please use a dropbox link)

A video, 2-minute maximum, describing what it means to be an Officer in the USAF. (Please use a dropbox link)

You must put your name in the video file names. For example John_Smith_Aspirations.mp4 and John_Smith_Officer.mp4

Apply Here