"Thumper" Hopper, F-16 fighter jock, Iraqi war vet, instructor pilot

Captain Christina Hopper has logged over 800 hours as a F-16 "Fighting Falcon" pilot. She logged over 50 combat and combat support missions during the Iraq War. She now instructs young rookies how to fly this mean machine. While flying and fighting in Iraq, she knew she was one of the "brotherhood," each pilot watching out for the other. Why do they call her "Thumper?" Well you'll have to read the article.

February 26, 2005

Captain Christina “Thumper” Hopper teaches men and women in the US Air Force how to fly jets. Not any old jet. The F-16 "Fighting Falcon."

She has over 800 hours in the F-16 and is currently serving as an F-16 Instructor in the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona. She is married to Captain Aaron Hopper who also flies the F-16 at Luke AFB

"Thumper" graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors degree in Psychology. She received her commission as the distinguished graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Program. Shortly after graduation, she attended undergraduate pilot training at Vance AFB in Enid, Oklahoma and earned Air Force pilot wings in April 2000. Following pilot training, she attended F-16 training at Luke AFB, Arizona.

In June 2001, Captain Hopper received her first operational assignment flying F-16s at Cannon AFB, New Mexico as part of the 524th Fighter Squadron, known as the "Hounds of Heaven," or, since fighter pilots like things said briefly, the "Hounds." As an editorial aside, in Buffalo, New York during the 1950s and 1960s, there was a great "rock 'n roll" station called, "the hound's around." As you'll see in a moment, the Hounds were around when the Iraqi War kicked off, and they were sending kisses to Saddam Hussein on the second day of that war.

While at Cannon, Captain Hopper flew multiple missions in support of Operation Noble Eagle protecting the skies of America following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Her squadron deployed in December 2002 to Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait as part of the 332rd Air Expeditionary Wing supporting Operations Southern watch and Iraqi Freedom, making her the first Air Force African-American female fighter pilot to fight in a war.

Captain Hopper flew over 50 combat and combat support missions during her deployment.

Margaret Magnarelli, writing "The Change Makers" for Good Housekeeping magazine, said this about one of Hopper's missions in Iraq:

"Pelting rain and blowing sand obscured her vision as she was fired at with surface-to-air missiles. When lightning struck the F-16, destroying its threat warning system -- which alerts the pilot if his or her jet is targeted by radar-guided antiaircraft fire -- Captain Hopper could have turned back. But she decided to complete her mission: to destroy a Republican Guard supply line. 'I did not want to bring my bombs home,' she says.

"A devout Christian, she says her faith kept her strong: 'I trusted that God would protect me.' She returned to Cannon Air Force Base in May 2003 and was greeted on the runway by her husband, Aaron, a fellow fighter pilot. 'People keep thanking me for going to Iraq,' she says. 'For me, it was a privilege.'"

Captain Hopper was presented Good Housekeeping magazine's Woman in Government Award for 2003.

How did she get the name "Thumper." That's her callsign. How'd she get that? It's a shortened version of "Bible Thumper." Her comment is this:

"I believe every blessing, including this Good Housekeeping award, is a gift from (God). My faith gives me the consistent ability to cope with all kinds of stressors.”

These are all F-16 pilots from the 524th Fighter Squadron coming home from the Iraq War on May 12, 2003. It was a single photo, but we broke it up so you can see what a dapper group of pilots they are, and more seriously, get a better view of their confident and proud stride and happy faces. These are professionals. Top photo, from left, 1st Lt. Russ Piggott, Capt. Christina Hopper, Lt. Col. Tom Berghoff. Bottom photo, again from left, Maj. Wade Dewey, Capt. Bill Bowman, 1st Lt. Chad Martin and Capt. Dave Lyons. As a group, they are walking toward family, friends and co-workers waiting to welcome them home. Photo credit: Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dawn Russell

David Madrid, reporting for The Arizona Republic published on November 13, 2004, conveyed Hopper's comments on the war:

"What happened was our squadron went over there (Iraq) for the routine monitoring of the no-fly zone. We were in Operation Southern Watch, flying missions out of Al Jabber (Air Base) in Kuwait. We were supposed to be there for a three-month rotation, which is what they had been doing ever since the first Gulf War ended ... Sure enough, while we were there, they basically froze everybody that was in theater and said we were going to stay there until Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off. Once the war kicked off, we were flying anywhere from two to three times a day, so it really added up fast.

"The men that I went to war with, it was kind of like a brotherhood. I felt that they all treated me just like I was their sister. They were looking out for me, you know, watching to make sure I was OK, just like I was looking out for them making sure they were OK."

We read one report that said she and her fellow pilots were bombing targets in Iraq on the second day of the war. She says this:

“The desert experience was unforgettable can look back on that experience with a deep sense of gratitude. I’m grateful to God, who gave the opportunity to take part in such a life-changing and world-changing event."

We honor service and sacrifice. Please click the "Donate" button and contribute $20 or more to help keep this station alive. Thanks.

Opening photo: Capt. Christina Hopper poses in front of an F-16 Fighting Falcon at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. Captain Hopper is a pilot assigned to the 524th Fighter Squadron. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Dawn Kirton