Washingtonpost.com:
A black helicopter hovering overhead can lead those below to become worried, scared or suspicious. But when a large aircraft positioned itself over a Prince William County high school’s football field last Wednesday afternoon, students who had just been released for the day excitedly watched as a stuffed bulldog with a red-bandanna parachute emerged.
The big-eyed pup drifted to the turf, delivering a message from a junior boy to a senior girl: “Fall Fest?”
Ok, cute. Students sure seem well-heeled these days. I still have trouble with the luxury of prom night. Now we find out that WE THE PEOPLE paid for this creative way of asking a girl out.
The unidentified boy’s father, it seems, works for the government and that’s where the parachuting date dog came from.
“He knew it was my senior year, and I’ve been asked some pretty creative ways before this,” said Victoria Burress, 17, a soccer player and kicker for the football team. “Everyone thinks that we like each other, but it’s not like that at all. It’s just unusual to be that close with a guy and to have him still do something nice for you.”
The Washington Post is not naming the boy because it could not verify his involvement by speaking to him or his parents.
It’s unclear exactly how the helicopter stunt was planned and even who was in the aircraft, though school officials said the boy’s father asked the principal for permission to have a helicopter fly in and drop the stuffed animal. The boy’s father is a senior official in air operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Reports of the incident irked CBP officials when they were made aware of photographs showing the aircraft looming close overhead Patriot students.
“We are aware of reports that a locally based CBP helicopter was used improperly by local CBP personnel Sept. 12,” officials said in a statement. “CBP management is looking into the matter and the pilot in command of the aircraft has been relieved and reassigned to administrative duties pending completion of the review of the incident.”
There was no mention of who was at the controls or who else might have been in the helicopter. The student’s father could not be reached Monday, and the boy’s mother declined to comment.
Where is the common sense? It seems to me that someone’s parents have taken leave of their senses. Why would you think you wouldn’t get caught? Why would any government employee think that using a helicopter for this kind of prank was acceptable? Will the cost come out of someone’s hide?
It sounds to me like its time for everyone to get back to work. I question the wisdom of allowing this kind of disruption at Patriot also. Too much money and not enough time? Isn’t that the school that has the exercise bikes in the library? Some schools in PWC are fighting to keep their current circulation of books at the right numbers.
I can’t help but think of the irony involved here. At Patriot High School the CBP helicopter gets cheered on by the students. I can think of a few schools in the county, you know, the schools of a lesser god, where some of the students would run if they saw the CBP helicopter. Maybe that’s what some of the citizens meant when they asked for evenly distributed demographics in the high schools. I don’t suppose PWC Schools would think of something like that though–at least not out at a pretty new shiny school like Patriot.
Customs and Border Patrol helicopters might have a whole different meaning to some of the schools a little closer in to town. What are you all thinking out there in God’s country!!????
According to their own mission statement: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the front-line border security agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the priority mission of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States. That’s just part of their job.
CBP is the agency that awarded a prize for the black face halloween costume. It is the agency that limits officers from doing their duty and from protecting themselves from criminals, drug dealers and, yes those undocumented “citizens” walking north at the border. This is the agency that puts its own people in prison for shooting drug dealers. DHS Secretary Napitalano needs to go, get a life and enjoy the fact that some of their people still have families. Unless the chopper came from Philadelphia for no other reason, enough already. I take less offense to this than I do the the use of the HOV lanes by officers in take home cars and personal vehicles with a blue bubble on the dash.
Interesting that they give the girl’s name and NOT the boy’s name. And don’t even get me started on the cost to we the people. Only in the Royal, err Rural Crescent would this type of date request be made.
Blue, screw you. Get a life?
You are sitting here tilting at windmills with an agency. bwaaaaahahahahahahahahahaaha
Afraid I don’t want to have to pay, as a taxpayer of course, for some kid to find creative ways to ask a girl out. I don’t blame the kid. I blame his father for lack of judgement.
Just out of curiosity, did Campean and Ramos happen under Obama? No? Well let’s blame him anyway. Lets drag Napolitano out by the hair of her head over that one.
Racist Halloween costumes? Blame Obama.
This was a long laundry list of personal gripes. Apparently I struck a nerve. Is this where I pretend I am a tea partier and start shrieking STOP SPENDING!!
That is the kind of waste of government money that people are talking about. It further shows the lack of sensitivity to PWC demographics…oh wait, they were at Patriot. It doesn’t matter. Not much diversity there.
I am totally outraged about this. I can’t believe that CBP would allow one of its helicopters to be used for something like this. How much does it cost to fly a helicopter?
Why isn’t the person responsible being named? Why isn’t the person responsible being fired from his job like this morning?
How could a school allow this? Evidently, there had been an OK from the principal or somone like that.
Heard about this from my kids and thought it was funny until I read that it was a CBP helicopter. The boy lives in Bristow not the rural crescent. It was after school during football practice so academics weren’t disrupted so I don’t have a problem with what the school did, but the dad is a different story.
We live in the DC area for pete’s sake. How did the dad not know this was going to get out and look bad on him? Think how awful it will be if Daddy loses his job over a fall dance date.
How much of what happened is still consuming the school day? I thought that was fairly outlandish. The kids were all headed to their cars, according to the papers.
The fact that a CBP helicopter was used makes it unacceptable in my book. What would have happened it that same scene were repeated at Stonewall or Obsourn? The schools very well could be hit with law suits for harassment of students.
Just something to think about. Obvious not much thinking went into this one before hand…or thinking of the right kind.
I might have thought it was funny had a private chopper been used. Operative word: might
and when one says, lets cut DHS, DOD and CBP Budget, there are many people who jump up and down that we cannot cut their budget. I wonder for what purpose this dude said he needed the copter? If I sign out a projector at work, I need to state a purpose.
Mr. Howler said it was a routine flight out of Manassas and that the chopper didn’t go out of its way. I might have to pull in my horns a little.
Yeah, yeah… I just heard a similar theory at my house. I also, heard possible daddy coughed up the dough for the flight, or the flight may have been a training exercise for the doggie. Run those other one by Mr. Howler.
BTW-I don’t even what to think the what would have happened if that chopper were at Stonewall.
First a stop at Stonewall, then fly on down to Osbourn. Shudder.
If a routine flight out of Manassas. I sure would like for Mr. Howler to take me on a field trip to see that chopper on the ground. 👿
@Moon-howler
I will tell Mr. Know it all Howler.
@Moon-howler
Thanks. I’d like to know how he could possible know it all about Giant during this major renovation. 🙂
The CBP does not have a staffed office at Manassas airport. They’ll show up on demand to get charter flights cleared through customs but that’s it. Can’t imagine they have a helo there. They (the gov’t) do have a Gulfstream 5 (about the most expensive way to travel) and a cargo plane as well as 4-5 single engine deals though….
@thanks Andy, horns back out. I will tell Mr. H he is full of it also. I enjoy doing that. I dont know why he is being so protective. You would think he worked for CBP. He doens’t.
“Blue, screw you. Get a life?”
“I might have to pull in my horns a little.”
“First a stop at Stonewall, then fly on down to Osbourn. Shudder.”
ICE has its own choppers, law enforcement officers and related equipment. Even the undocumented students at Stonewall know the difference, why don’t you?
This is good PR, good for the school, good for employee morale and clearly good for the family and the father son. Give it a break and cut the faux concern for the taxpayer.
Why don’t I know the difference? Why should I know the difference? More importantly DW, why DO YOU know the difference?
It is also a perfect way to abuse government property. Good for employee morale? How about the employee get permission for such a flight?
What’s good PR is Marine One doing a drive by field trip–with permission where all the students get to out a class at a time and tour it.
Obviously the government didn’t think it was too smart either! It doesn’t appear as though Blue knows how this agency works or she wouldn’t be defending the stupidity of this dad’s decision.
@punchak
“I am totally outraged about this. I can’t believe that CBP would allow one of its helicopters to be used for something like this. How much does it cost to fly a helicopter?”
That chopper costs around $5000 per hour to operate. To purchase one, base model is around $6million and since CBP does what it does, probably equipped out for a total cost of around $25million.
I think this is great. I also think you should calm down and take you medication. The Federal government is wasting a lot more money on a lot worse. A father and his son connected and the whole school went – wow, and she accepted the offer. Federal employees do not get many opportunities to show their families what they do or how cool what they do can be.
Again, your faux concern for the students of illegals is funny because your really don’t know the difference between CBP and ICE. Your faux concern for the taxpayer is even funnier.
Sorry, this is not in the realm of prohbiting the Marines to have ammunition; nor does it compare to some of the recent GSA conference in Vegas. Its a small thing that lets the CBP officer support his son and advertizes for CBP. Yes, DHS will overreact like they always do- which is why morale at CBP and the larger DHS is so low. I do get that.
Blue, I am confused, is my faux concern for the taxpayers or is it for students of “illegals?”
We have told you before…not on this blog. It you want to refer to undocumented immigrants, don’t call them “illegals.” How would you know what students at Stonewall recognize or don’t recognize? In your zealotry to jab at me, you have tipped your own hand.
What is your point? Are you trying to tell us, DW, that you have a family member employed by one of those groups? Why do I need to know the difference between CBP and ICE? ARe you giving me a test? bwaaahahahahaha. I would say, in some cases, its location location location.
The point was, misuse of government equipment. Ok if get approval but in the climate of STOP SPENDING it seems a little disingenuous to start wanting to heal the family using govt. equipment. If it was on the up and up, disciplinary action would not have been involved.
Channel 9 just reported that last week’s incident is being investigated and the man is on leave. I’m glad this is being investigated. Sure there may be more waste, but we should cut any there is. Every bit of waste that’s cut is well worth it. I guess Blue thinks there’s plenty of money to waste. Give me a break it’s homecoming, not a wedding proposal. I would be opposed to that too. I still think it’s odd that the girls name is given, yet the boy and his daddy’s names are kept from the public. I’m sure there are teachers and students that know exactly who the gents are involved in this. Hmm…perhaps I should contact some teacher/student friends from the newest and greatest high school. Battlefiled is no longer the the “it” shcool. 👿
Thanks, Andy. I didn’t think Mr. Howler would be taking me on a field trip anytime soon.
I can assure you that there is no routine flight out of anywhere that flies directly over a high school football field , and hovers at less than 200 feet. He was just not thinking – and he is probably a good guy – just not thinking.
Is it a rumor that the school was having a contest for the best way to ask for a date – if true, that is another stupid thing for a school to be sponsoring.