When Kaneohe Bay Marine Capt. Nick “;Doober”; Turner returns from Iraq this summer, he will do the dream job of helicopter pilot for President Barrack Obama.

“;Being a pilot alone has been a dream,”; Turner said. “;But this is almost surreal, something I've always aspired to.

“;Can you believe they are giving me a paycheck to do this?”; Turner asked. “;I would do it for free. Who can say they are living their dream?”;

The 30-year-old will be assigned to Marine Helicopter Squadron, HMX-1, known as the “;Nighthawks.”; The Nighthawks unit is the helicopter transport squadron whose only mission is fly the president and his staff. His tour at Quantico Marine Corps Air Station in Virginia is for four years.

Besides being the sole helicopter transport squadron for the president, the vice president, Cabinet members and VIPs, it also has the role of testing and evaluating helicopter systems for the Fleet Marine Force. It can take up to a year to get a top secret “;Yankee White”; security clearance to join the Quantico squadron, which also requires a minimum of 1,500 flying hours. Several people whom Turner considers mentors have flown for the presidential squadron.

With more than 700 personnel assigned, HMX-1 is the largest permanently formed aircraft squadron in the Marine Corps.

Although he is qualified to fly CH53-D Sea Stallions, which are the main helicopter assigned to the three Kaneohe Bay squadrons, he will also learn to fly four new aircraft: CH-53E Super Stallions, VH-3D and VH-60 and VH-71 Kestrel which are expected to replace the current fleet of helicopters called Marine One when the president is on board.

Turner said that much of his success can be attributed to his wife, Kimberly. They have three children: Mackenzie, Trevor, Addison and a fourth due in August.

“;A military wife is a different breed,”; Turner told the Star-Bulletin. “;There's no way I could have done it if I didn't have her in my corner.”;

Turner has always been a squared away Marine.

He graduated first from helicopter flight school eight years ago and was rewarded with a prime aviation assignment - Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362, nicknamed the “;Ugly Angels.”; The squadron recently celebrated its 50th birthday and holds the distinction of being the first Marine aircraft unit in Vietnam.

It was the same helicopter squadron his father - Larry Turner - spent 13 months with as an aviator during the Vietnam war in 1965. Nick Turner said the duties of the “;Ugly Angels”; haven't changed since his father was a Marine aviator more than four decades ago.

“;We affectionately call our duties 'beans, bullets and band aids,'”; Turner said.

The squadron is responsible for moving food, transporting troops for raids and evacuating wounded Marines.

“;I got my love of flying from doing the family business with my dad,”; Turner acknowledged.

After the Vietnam war, Larry Turner returned to Elliott, Iowa, where he started Turner Copter Services Inc., a crop spraying and heavy lifting business.

“;Growing up around helicopters and listening to the stories of his father's war buddies, I saw the huge sense of pride in the them and I wanted to be a part of it.”;

He joined the Marines his junior year in college.

“;I finally told myself if I'm going to do it (flying), I'm going to give some blood, sweat and tears,”; Turner said.