Recently returning to the United States after a third tour in war-torn Iraq, this soldier, father and Oxford native has seen firsthand the changes and progress the United States military has made there.

Jamie Bancroft graduated from Oxford Academy in 1992 knowing he wanted to become a pilot. In doing so, he began his education at the United States Naval Academy.

While at the academy, Bancroft said he played light-weight football. Although the games were not like the Army/Navy games seen on television, he said he played a smaller version of it and had a lot of fun.

After completing Naval school, which Bancroft notes was a difficult task, he was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps as a second lieutenant.

“There were 1,200 inducted, and I graduated with about 850,” he said. Following completion, Bancroft was on his way to basic officer training and stationed in Quantico, Va. for six months. During this time, he also met his wife, Amy.

Joining the military, he remembers, was a way to serve the country he believes in and to follow in the footsteps of his family.

“My father and uncle both served in Vietnam,” he said. “The military was a stepping stone for me so I could figure out what I wanted to do.”

Once this pilot earned his wings at flight school in Pensacola, Fla., he was certified to fly UH-1N Hueys.