In the course of serving his country, Marine Corps aviator Bob Loynd '86 has gotten around.

There was Operation Desert Storm, during which he flew 35 combat sorties in the pilot's seat of an EA6B Prowler set up to jam enemy electronics. There were deployments in Japan, Korea, the Philippines. There was a year at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University--where Loynd earned a master's degree in international affairs--and six months as a specialist in Central Asia and Russia.

And now there are regular training "road trips" in which Loynd and his crew of three, take off from Cherry Point, N.C. for destinations in the U.S., none of which are more than a day trip (Cherry Point to Brunswick, Maine? Ninety minutes.).

Now a major soon to be made colonel, the American studies major entered the Marine Corps after graduation. Now he oversees a squadron whose sole purpose is to provide air support for Marines on the ground, and in the process, help others, too.

"By going into some of these areas [like Afghanistan], we're also developing contacts with them and helping them develop economic conditions that will make life for these people a little bit better.

"There's definitely the mutual understanding that will be a positive benefit to all of this."