Wyatt Bankus thought he might make his mark in rodeo. And that made sense, since he graduated from Oakdale High School and was immersed in the culture of the Cowboy Capital of the World.

But fate intervened and an injury steered him down another path instead, as he enlisted in the United States Air Force. It wasn’t a totally unexpected path for him though, as his grandfather served 20 years with the Air Force and Bankus – with a love for his country – also went that route.

He graduated from OHS in May of 2015 and went to Central Arizona College on a rodeo scholarship briefly, then joined the Air Force in December 2016. Now, as a Technical Sergeant, an E6, and a Crew Chief for the famed F-16 Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, Bankus knows he has found his true calling.

The Thunderbirds are stationed at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nevada and while Bankus calls that “home” he is rarely there – as the Thunderbirds are traveling roughly 200 days out of the year.

He recently had a chance to reconnect with friends from the Oakdale area, who traveled to see a Thunderbirds show at Beale Air Force Base in the Marysville/Yuba City area.

“That was absolutely incredible, I was born in Yuba City,” Bankus shared of the ‘double homecoming’ at the air show.

He spent his early years in Alta, near Donner Pass, before his family’s path eventually led to Oakdale.

One of those he got to visit with at the Beale Air Force Base show was Isaac Robles, his ag teacher at Oakdale High School, the two sharing a close bond. Bankus went to three different high schools, including Placer, Lincoln and Oakdale. He graduated from OHS and said Robles provided some guidance when he needed it most.

“Mr. Robles at Oakdale High School actually understood how to deal with a troublesome student like myself, he was truly a mentor and a friend that I didn’t know I needed at the time,” Bankus admitted.

Robles, in fact, was a first-year teacher at Oakdale when he met Bankus.

“It didn’t take long to realize how capable, honest, and hard-working Wyatt was. His admiration for his mom and dad was always evident, and his respectfulness to me as a teacher was always appreciated,” said Robles. “Wyatt was the epitome of all that is good in our community. Even today, I still hold him up to my current students as an example of where hard work, commitment, and life can take you.”

Bankus credits his parents, dad Tim (now deceased) and mom Marie Bankus with having the biggest impact in his life, “seeing the work ethic and the sacrifices they had to make to raise four kids.”

And from the rodeo arena to the wide-open skies, Bankus is appreciative of the lessons learned along the way.

“Whenever I think of Oakdale, I’m always brought back to the rodeo grounds and the rich history of great rodeo cowboys that were forged in that dirt. I remember my first Oakdale Saddle Club buckle and how hard I had worked in the practice pen months leading up to that NCJRA rodeo,” he explained. “Before moving to Oakdale in 2014 it was always my favorite place to rodeo.”

He added that “grit” is a trait passed down from his father that has served him well.

“Grit is defined as a personality trait that describes a person’s ability to persevere through challenges and maintain their interest in long-term goals,” Bankus said. “I have encountered many a setback in life as everyone will, it is something I learned how to navigate through the rodeo arena as a young boy and into adulthood. The hard work and experiences you have in Oakdale are one of a kind and impossible to imitate. The western way of life and work ethic required on the ranch helped mold me into the man I am today.”

Bankus also said his older brother, Ray, was in the Air Force and he always enjoyed hearing his brother’s stories of deployment and traveling the world. When he got into college rodeo, Bankus found it was something he enjoyed but also started to feel he was destined for something bigger. And when a severe knee injury forced a lengthy rehabilitation – one which brother Ray helped him through – he made the decision then to serve his country. He had several assignments and deployments through the years, leading up to service with the Thunderbirds.

He was selected for the Thunderbirds in March of 2023.

The selection process is not an easy one to get through.

Lauren A. Clevenger, SrA, USAF is with the Thunderbirds Public Affairs and provided the following information regarding Technical Sgt. Bankus’s journey to the Crew Chief position.

“Joining the ranks of the USAF Thunderbirds F-16 Crew Chiefs is a rigorous selection process. As the icons of aerial precision and discipline, the team demand nothing short of exceptional talent, and their recruitment process reflects this unwavering commitment to excellence.

“The process begins with a wave of applications, each a testament to the applicant’s skill and dedication to the Air Force. The Thunderbirds delve deep, meticulously examining every facet of a candidate’s record. Physical fitness records is paramount, and test scores are weighed heavily, ensuring each potential Crew Chief possesses the stamina and resilience to endure the demanding pace of the team. Annual Performance Reports are dissected, revealing a chronicle of past achievements and demonstrating a consistent commitment to superior workmanship. Medals and decorations speak volumes, highlighting acts of valor and dedication that transcend the ordinary. Finally, the recommendations of commanders add a vital personal dimension, attesting to the candidate’s character, leadership potential, and unwavering dedication to duty.”

For those that get through the first part of the process, there is even more to come, as the detailed outline provided by Clevenger indicates.

“These elements are then subjected to a rigorous “rack and stack” process, a brutal but necessary comparison against the aspirations of countless others. The Thunderbirds, seeking only the best of the best, meticulously rank each candidate, separating the exceptional from the merely proficient. The selected few then advance to the next stage; the interview.

“The interview is not merely a formality, it’s a process designed to assess not only technical expertise, but also the intangible qualities that define a Thunderbird: teamwork and adaptability. This final test is designed to ensure that those chosen are not only skilled mechanics but also individuals who embody the spirit of the Thunderbirds, ready to uphold the team’s legacy of excellence and inspire audiences worldwide.”

Bankus serves the Thunderbirds as the Quality Assurance Lead Inspector for 130 Airmen, and, in his words, is responsible for “aiding maintenance efforts to identify, validate and resolve quality, proficiency, and compliance issues that impact mission generation for every F-16 in our fleet.”

He also is a member of the “9G Club,” having achieved that milestone recently.

“It’s a benchmark in the fighter pilot community,” Bankus explained.

Achieving 9Gs puts you at nine times the force of gravity, he said, and the flight he was on – in the backseat of a Thunderbird – sustained 9.3Gs for seven seconds.

“The airplane itself can withstand 10G’s,” he added, noting that the achievement of membership in the 9G Club is really “just for bragging rights.”

But bragging is not something Bankus does much of; he instead is humbled to be doing something he loves while being in service to his country, maintaining a family tradition.

He also has plans to finish his degree and attend Officer Training School. He is currently a student pilot and is working on getting some additional flight hours whenever he can.

And though the Thunderbirds schedule is demanding, the days long and the time off almost non-existent, Bankus can’t think of anything else he would rather be doing than serving his country as part of the U.S. Air Force.

“It has given me more purpose in my life,” he said.

Leader correspondent Winnie Mullins of Valley Home contributed some of the information utilized in this story.