Air Force chief of staff shares African immigrant’s story: ‘He’s an inspiration’

Air Force chief of staff Gen. Dave Goldfein shared a video featuring Staff Sgt. Eric Piime, an immigrant from Ghana, whom he called an “inspiration.”

“This is Staff Sgt. Eric Piime. He’s a boom operator with @121ARW & he’s an inspiration. His story began in his native Ghana where he developed a fascination with aviation & an appreciation for the U.S.,” Goldfein said in a tweet, sharing the video.

“His is a story of hope, hard work, perseverance & patriotism. #Airpower.”

The video comes after President Trump reportedly referred to Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations as “shithole countries” during an Oval Office meeting.

Trump faced widespread backlash and accusations of racism for his comments. He has pushed back against the reports of the comments and denied he is racist.

{mosads}In the video posted to Twitter, Piime talked about growing up in Ghana and his journey to the U.S. He talked about the first time he saw an airplane, saying they “intrigued” him. He said he learned, after watching airplanes, that he wanted to be a pilot.

“In Ghana, there’s a huge, huge fan base for the United States of America,” he said, adding that the U.S. is a “huge beacon of hope.”

Piime said he knew he had to come to the U.S. for his dream to be realized. After he graduated and got into his flight training, he said, he was looking for ways to give back.

“I thought service to this country was the ultimate way of giving back,” he said.

He said he needed to become a citizen to serve, referring to the day he got his citizenship as very important in his life.

“Looking back at it, I still get goosebumps,” he said in the video. “I’m lost for words to even express myself. … To be a citizen of the greatest nation on this planet, it’s something to write home about.”

His favorite things about America, he said, are what the country stands for.

“It’s a beacon of hope, it’s a country of opportunities and a country that gives chances,” he said. “That’s always been my favorite.”