Editing LeRoy Homer Jr. (section)

==Career and personal life==
He entered the [[United States Air Force Academy]] as a member of the class of 1987. As an upperclassman, he was a member of Cadet Squadron 31. He graduated on May 27, 1987,<ref>{{cite web |last=Edwards |first=David |title=ALO Shares Memory of United 93 Co-Pilot |work=[[U.S. Air Force Academy]] |date=September 15, 2010 |access-date=March 4, 2015 |url=https://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story?id=123222081 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402103051/http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123222081 |archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.<ref name="homer">{{cite news |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/headlines/20011028flt93homerbiop8.asp |title=Pilot: LeRoy Homer Jr. |date=October 28, 2001 |newspaper=[[Post-Gazette]] |access-date=March 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918071642/http://www.post-gazette.com/headlines/20011028flt93homerbiop8.asp |archive-date=September 18, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

After completing his USAF pilot training in 1988, he was assigned to [[Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst|McGuire Air Force Base]] in [[New Jersey]], flying a [[Lockheed C-141 Starlifter]]. While on active duty, he served in the [[Gulf War]] and later supported operations in [[Somalia]]. He received many commendations, awards and medals during his military career. In 1993, he was named the [[21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force|Twenty-First Air Force]] "Aircrew Instructor of the Year". Homer achieved the rank of [[Captain (United States O-3)|captain]] before his honorable discharge from active duty in 1995 and his acceptance of a reserve commission in order to continue his career as an Air Force officer.{{fact|date=February 2023}}

Homer continued his military career as a member of the [[U.S. Air Force Reserve]], initially as a C-141 instructor pilot with the [[356th Airlift Squadron]] at [[Wright-Patterson Air Force Base]] in Ohio, then subsequently as an Academy Liaison Officer, recruiting potential candidates for both the Air Force Academy and the [[Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps]]. During his time in the Air Force Reserve, he achieved the rank of [[Major (United States)|major]].{{fact|date=February 2023}}

Homer continued his flying career by joining [[United Airlines]] in May 1995. He briefly worked as a flight engineer, before becoming a [[First Officer (civil aviation)|First Officer]] on the [[Boeing 757]]/[[Boeing 767]]<ref name="i506"/> in 1996, where he remained until his death.{{fact|date=February 2023}}

Homer married his wife, Melodie, on May 24, 1998, and his daughter, Laurel, was born in late November 2000. They resided together in [[Marlton, New Jersey]].<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DP&p_theme=dp&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EEA41E7E19BE3A8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Leroy Homer AF Academy graduate called eternal optimist |newspaper=[[Denver Post]] |date=September 16, 2001 |access-date=November 19, 2008 |page=6}}</ref>