Hero Interview from Soldier Daddy

Hero's interview for Soldier Daddy by Cheryl Wyatt:

1. Aaron, Petrowski, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I have the honor of being a commander over three elite USAF Pararescue Teams, one of which is located in Refuge, Illinois near an unmapped military base.

2. What do you do for fun?
I love to skydive, which is good considering it's also my job. I also love to spend time with my twin toddlers, one of whom has an imaginary gaggle of geese. Interestingly, the geese are military birds by nature. My son has them all named and ranked and well as their personalities pegged. LOL!

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Going through my late-wife's stuff. She was killed by an impaired driver when our boys were eight weeks old. She was returning to work against my wishes because she found she didn't like being a stay-at-home mother. I sincerely regret that our last conversation was an argument regarding her desire to return to work.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?
My boys growing up unhappy and without a mother. I don't fear losing another spouse as much as I fear my boys going through the loss that took me out of Pararescue for three hard years. But I'm back in action now...if I can manage to snag this new nanny.

5. What do you want out of life?
I want my boys to feel secure and I want my PJ teams to be the best they can be and to be able to help our community in their downtime. Refuge had a bridge collapse last year and my return to work will enable me to institute programs that will boost morale in the community.

6. What is the most important thing to you?
Faith. People. Rescue. My relationship with God, my sons, my PJ teams and my sister Ashleigh as well as my live-in housekeeper, Mina. I'm also growing pretty fond of the new nanny. Did I mention she's gorgeous? My career is also very important to me.

7. Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?
I read Pararescue and other military manuals. I read Intel briefs from superiors. If I read fiction, it must be action-adventure or military. Love my country and the men and women who serve it.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
That I didn't try harder to grab my grief by the throat and suffocate it rather than letting it suffocate me. The new nanny has taught me a lot about how to bring happiness into our home. My boys laugh more these days since hiring her than in all their years combined. I'm ashamed of that, the fact that I didn't come out of my own gloom enough to run with the boys through sprinkler and just go on living despite my loss. I have a fresh outlook on life now. I'm excited for what the future holds. And I hope it holds the nanny.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
Well, funny you should ask. (Chuckles.) For various reasons, which you will see once you read our story, my skip tracing sister Ash can't stand the nanny. There's tremendous animosity there. Sarah (nanny) is terrified of rodents. Ash, knowing that, bought the boys guinea pigs for their birthday. So, yes, we have pets, if one could call the skittering furballs that. They are quite cute, except the day one got loose when Sarah was in the house alone...

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
I would go back to the night my wife died. Beg her not to leave. But then again, God is sovereighn. My boys never got to know their mom except through stories, but I have a feeling God has another mother on their horizon, as well as another wife for me...(eyes the nanny and smiles).