An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Meet the Hornitscheks: Mike, Polly, Forrest and Sydney

  • Published
  • By Karen Petitt
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  The story of Col. Mike Hornitschek and his wife, Polly, is an all-American success story. A farm boy who dreamt of flying becomes a pilot in the Air Force and wing commander for the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base. A small town girl, smart and pretty, whose love for education and reading propels her to becoming an elementary teacher.
Both worked hard to accomplish their dreams and both found that their Hartford, Wisc., years of growing up in a simpler time with Midwestern values of faith and family provided a solid foundation for the mobile lifestyle they'd embrace as an Air Force family.

Colonel Hornitschek, the son of German immigrants who moved here in 1960 and established a tree farm, learned at an early age the value of hard work. There was virtually no TV and from the last snow melt to the first flake of winter, the trees required constant attention. Because sports required too much time away from his responsibilities on the farm, he focused on academics, student government, and the forensic art of competitive public speaking.

He said that taught him that even though someone had a good idea, it wouldn't go very far unless it could be communicated well.

"I also learned early on that while sports are great, it's also important to develop practical skills that you can use throughout your life," he said. "We have a lot of opportunities in the Air Force to learn public speaking skills, primarily with our Professional Military Education, but also through briefing requirements, social events, Toastmasters clubs, etc. We have opportunities to share our ideas and solutions, and being able to convince people of them makes our mission execution more effective and efficient."

Polly also enjoyed participating in forensics and she became good friends with Mike during those junior high and high school years. As the daughter of educators, she continued that tradition by attending the University of Wisconsin at Madison to pursue a degree in education while Mike secured an appointment to the Air Force Academy. It wasn't until his senior year at the academy that he began to see Polly as more than just a friend and they dated for three years while he finished his master's degree and pilot training.

They married in September 1992 and their first assignment to March AFB, Calif., proved to be eye opening and challenging.

"Imagine being plucked out of a small town and being transplanted to the outskirts of L.A. where we experienced smog, traffic jams, and gangs," he said. "We lived off base and my thought process was that I would go to my Air Force job and Polly would do her thing ... and then within that first year I deployed for six months. Looking back, I realized that I isolated her too much and as a communicator, I realize I didn't communicate very well to include what the Air Force had to offer."

Polly said she wasn't contacted by anyone in the Air Force that first year and that she felt alone and isolated.

"I didn't really know any better or what to expect or do. Neither one of our families had a military background so I was leaning on Mike to help me transition. Once we moved on base, though, I did connect with other spouses and learned that there's a whole world of support and activities at my door. That is why now I'm very interested in making sure that our young spouses have an immediate connection. I understand how overwhelming it can be and you need a friend to help you navigate this new life in the Air Force. Knowing what's available to help you can make a big difference in both the home and work environments."

Colonel Hornitschek added that with today's ops tempo, it's even more critical for front line supervisors and key spouses to assist commanders with outreach to the member and their family.

"I truly believe in the Comprehensive Airman Fitness focus, which is a cultural mindset about building resilience to the stresses associated with the demands of the mission and life. CAF is about our commitment to developing a holistic approach to caring for our people that equips, enables and empowers everyone to grow more physically, socially, mentally and spiritually fit. We must do all we can to care for each other."

He said they didn't plan on being where they're at in the Air Force now 21 years later, and that he viewed his career one step at a time along the way.

"I've always said you should love what you do ... be glad to go into work, and likewise be glad about going home to your life there. When work stops becoming enjoyable, then maybe it's time to change and do something different. I can say I love every day I spend in the Air Force. It was especially enjoyable to share the change of command ceremony with our parents and extended family. Most had never experienced a military ceremony, so they enjoyed that."

For two people who spent their lives growing up in one place, they're sensitive to the needs of their two children, Forrest, 14, and Sydney, 11. Due to a combination of moves and grade changes, Sydney has attended a different school every year since kindergarten.

Polly said, "They've seen a lot of this country and have had the opportunity to experience the world around them. I think they appreciate that, and we try to make sure we are investing quality time with them. Sometimes that means saying no to some great activities that we'd like to do that would divide or take our time away from them. So like most families, we just try to balance everything out."

From California to Washington, D.C., to Alabama and Kansas, each place has brought challenges and learning experiences for the Hornitscheks. For Polly their assignment to McGuire AFB, N.J., where her husband was a squadron commander, taught her the importance of Key Spouses. She said that's where she had the most rewarding experiences as she got to know the other spouses in her unit on a very personal level by listening and lending a helping hand. For the colonel, the assignment to the Pentagon taught him about how policy is made and how large organizations such as the Air Force work.

But, no matter where the assignments have taken them or what they have learned from them, they said it's always the people who make it memorable.

"We hear the phrase mission first, but people always," said Colonel Hornitschek. "Everywhere we've gone we've made great friends. Even the 'less desirable' assignments turn out great because of the friends we made there. Also, we both believe in 'growing where you are planted' and leaving things better than when we found them. We approach each assignment with positive attitudes, looking for ways to integrate and participate. Polly and I are happy to be here and look forward to meeting new friends and experiencing this great mission and assignment with all of you."