An official Army article about a helicopter downed in Afghanistan covers the work of the crew to survive as their chopper falls.  In retelling the story, the article contains this tidbit about the immediate aftermath of the crash in hostile territory:

Before [Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mike] McGann grabbed his weapon, he’d made sure he had one other “sensitive item” — a stuffed dragon that his 4-year-old daughter, Hope, had sent him.

“It flies with me all the time; it usually sits right on the console,” McGann said. “Before I grabbed my weapon, and before I did anything else, I grabbed (the dragon) and stuffed it under my armor.”

Apparently, some Army pilots are softies. 

Nice work, Dad.  That’s enough to make every father proud.

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