CENTENNIAL, Colo. — For Alexander Hodges, a weapon systems officer WSO for the U.S. Navy, a brief stop at Centennial Airport wasn’t just a routine refueling—it was a homecoming. Hodges and his fellow members of Fleet Replacement Squadron VFA 106, en route from Virginia to Nevada, took a moment to refuel both their F-18 Super Hornet aircraft and themselves, with a visit to a familiar restaurant inside the airport.
They’ve got a restaurant here, which is always handy, said Hodges, reflecting on the long six-to-nine-hour flight across the country. Growing up just down the road in unincorporated Arapahoe County, this wasn’t the first time he’d visited the airport. I would actually come to this airport as a kid every once in a while. I just kind of watched the planes. I went to Cherry Creek High School, grew up a Broncos fan, played golf at the Family Fun Center. I grew up here, he shared.
As a WSO, Hodges plays a crucial role in the cockpit, responsible for managing weapons, communications, navigation, and other essential tasks. His pilot for the trip, LCDR Collin Newcomb, emphasized the importance of the relationship between the WSO and the pilot, saying, If you have a bad WSO, it could be a detraction but a good WSO can make a huge difference.
Hodges and Newcomb, who trained together in F-18 flight school, have now reunited in VFA 106, which focuses on training newly winged Navy pilots. Their stop in Centennial was part of their journey to Fallon, Nevada, where they would guide new students through live bomb drops and close air support exercises.
For Hodges, who once dreamed of flying over Colorado’s mountains, his career in the Navy still feels surreal. Every single flight, I still have at least one moment where I kind of have to pinch myself… I can’t believe I actually get to do this for a living, he said.
The Centennial stop was a brief but special return home for the Colorado native, offering a moment of reflection on his journey from an aspiring young aviation enthusiast to a U.S. Navy officer flying fighter jets across the country.