Nicholas Cox, Army Veteran

Rotor-Wing Pilot, Guardian Flight

Nicholas Cox comes from a military family. His father was in the U.S. Army, as were his brothers, and his sister was a Corpsman in the U.S. Navy. An ethic of service and duty to his country were imprinted on him at a young age. Not surprisingly, he too joined the Army.

Cox served with distinction for 22 years, first as an infantryman, then as a helicopter pilot. He saw a lot in his time with the Army, serving in Afganistan and helping train Japanese Self-Defense Forces. When he had accomplished the goals he had set for himself, he was ready to retire and maintain a more stable family life with his wife and children. He returned to civilian life and now serves as a Rotor-Wing Pilot with Guardian Flight. Cox provides civilian service right where he grew up in Escanaba, Michigan.

“I’ll always miss the people that I worked with,” said Cox of his time in the military service. “The amount of time we spent together under some of the toughest conditions - they weren’t just co-workers, they were family.”

Cox credits his military training for his civilian success. “The Army provided me the opportunity to experience some of the most demanding flight conditions possible. The training I received from the Army was more than just the ability to fly a helicopter; it was decision making, judgment and mental preparedness—all of which help me in my current role with Guardian.”

Rank Achieved

Cox served for 22 years and attained the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Three (CW3). This rank means Cox:

  • Was recognized as an advanced-level technical and tactical expert
  • Had primary duties as a technical leader, trainer, operator, manager, maintainer, sustainer, interegator and advisor

Areas of Service

Cox served with distinction as both an infantryman and helicopter pilot in:

  • Afghanistan
  • Japan
  • Stateside

Favorite Military Memory

“I was in Frankfurt, Germany for a few days coming back from Afghanistan to the States,” said Cox. “I was waiting for a connecting flight to the U.S. and someone walked by me in uniform. He noticed the last name on my uniform and said, ‘nice name’. I noticed his last name was the same and then I did a double take. I realized it was my cousin that I hadn’t seen in over 25 years. After catching up a bit, I found out that he was on his way to Afghanistan as a nurse in the Army Reserves, where we would be serving on the same base just a few buildings apart. When I got back to Afghanistan, we were able to see each other almost daily.”