Evan Bloom has dreamt of being a pilot since he was a boy and the dream has finally come true.
The Sachem North alum from the Class of 2010 become a Winged Naval Aviator in April after nearly two years of training on four different aircraft, across 314 academic training hours, 189 graded flight events, more than 300 cockpit hours, and more than 500 actual and simulated landings.
Bloom, who played football and lacrosse at Dartmouth College, worked incredibly hard to achieve an Ivy League education, while also attending Officer Candidate School through the Platoon Leaders Course for the United States Marine Corps.
The culmination of Naval Flight Training is the Winging Ceremony where Student Naval Aviators receive their The Wings of Gold and are designated as pilots. The ceremony took place at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi on April 7. The wings Bloom was pinned with are referred to as Legacy Wings meaning they were worn by a former aviator.
His wings were pinned by Captain Rusty Sachs, USMC 1966-1970, a mentor, friend and Harvard graduate from Norwich, Vt. Sachs, flew over 760 combat missions in Vietnam and was awarded a Purple Heart during his service.
To fully understand this accomplishment, it’s helpful to understand the journey Bloom has been on since graduating from Sachem.
Bloom was active at Dartmouth, majoring in history, playing both sports, and during his freshman and junior summers he attended and successfully completed Officer Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
He was also awarded the lacrosse team’s “Blue Collar Award” in 2011 and 2014 and “The Inaugural Class of 1980 Award” in 2014, an honor that is given to a player who “best represents themselves, their team, the college and the community through their academics, athletics and community involvement.”
Additionally, he emceed the local Special Olympics and participated in a joint “Bridges to Community, Lacrosse The Nations” program in Nicaragua where lacrosse players helped build a home for a disadvantaged family and ran clinics for local youth.
Upon graduation from Dartmouth in May of 2014, Bloom accepted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marines aboard the U.S.S. Constitution stationed in Boston Harbor.
Bloom returned to Quantico where he attended The Basic School, where newly commissioned officers are trained in the high standards of professional knowledge, esprit-de-corps, and leadership to prepare them for duty as company grade officers.
Upon completing basic, Bloom was assigned to Naval Air Station Pensacola where he underwent Introductory Flight Training, flying the PA-28.
In May of 2016 Bloom was promoted to First Lieutenant.
After completion of Intermediate Flight Training, Bloom was assigned to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi for Advanced Multi-Engine Flight training flying the TC-12B Huron.
For his efforts during Advanced Multi-Engine Flight Training Bloom was commended for academic and flight excellence by being named to “The Commodore’s List” which is recognition for placing in the top 10 percent of all Navy, Coast Guard and Marine multi-engine wingers. Naturally, he had the highest scores of all the Marines in his squadron.
Bloom is currently assigned to Marine Corp Air Station New River, squadron VMMT 204, where he will spend approximately four months learning his aircraft, the MV-22B Osprey, a multi-mission military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing, and short takeoff and landing capabilities.
He will be assigned to a fleet squadron at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar upon completion of this training.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro