"My brother is my wingman"

  • Published
  • By Kevin Gaddie
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The annual Holiday Traffic Safety Campaign held at the enlisted hall Nov. 18 featured Tom Farley, brother of the late comedian and actor Chris Farley, as the guest speaker.

Prior to delivering his unconventional safety message, Farley was introduced to the capacity crowd by Col. Dave Harris, Air Armament Center vice-commander.

"Our goal is to make sure the same faces we see here today will be the same faces we see after the holidays," Colonel Harris said in his opening remarks. "We're gathered here because we all need to be reminded, from time to time, about safety. This is going to be a little different from a regular slide presentation, but Tom will deliver the message in an enjoyable way."

For the last 12 years, Mr. Farley has honored his younger brother's memory by delivering a message of safety and responsibility in a humorous, light-hearted fashion.

Chris was part of the "Saturday Night Live" comedy show cast from 1990 to 1995, and starred in several movies, including "Tommy Boy" and "Black Sheep." He died in 1997 of cardiac arrest caused by a drug overdose.

Mr. Farley began by remembering Chris as a caring, giving and faithful person who enjoyed having fun.

"Those traits went through the roof when he was clean and sober," Mr. Farley said. "It was incredible to be around him."

Chris always found the punch line in their shared childhood experiences.

"Sharing a bedroom with that maniac was horrible," Mr. Farley joked. "I was always the serious older brother, where Chris had this warped sense of humor and was always trying to get me to not be so serious."

Mr. Farley emphasized that safety is a serious issue, but "coming from a family that jokes around all the time, it seemed to me the message needed a balance, where people receive the same message from a different point of view, making it a little easier to swallow."

The oldest of five children, Mr. Farley said his methods are most effective with high school teens and young adults, where a serious message may not go as far.

Mr. Farley played a video clip highlighting some of Chris' classic "Saturday Night Live" characters, including "Matt Foley," an overly excited motivational speaker who lived "in a van down by the river." The video also showed heartfelt safety messages from comedians Rob Schneider, David Spade and Adam Sandler; former professional wrestler Goldberg and former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski.

Next, Mr. Farley invited six Airmen on stage for an improvisational "mission." Each Airman was asked to tell part of the story of "The Lion King." Each Airman was to continue the story where one left off. Some of the plot interpretations, including a hilarious rendition of 'Hakuna Matata,' brought both laughter and applause from the audience.

Mr. Farley said he uses this technique at schools to encourage communication, group participation and togetherness, while diffusing conflicts caused by peer pressure.

"I want (the teens) to understand the value of being their own person, and to appreciate having their own style and their own voice, just like Chris did," he said. "Chris was famous for creating all these famous characters, but at the end of the day, he was just being himself. I tell the teens it's all right to just be yourself, without getting drunk or taking drugs to fit in or because other people do it."

"We're talking about serious subjects here, but that doesn't mean you need to be serious all the time," Mr. Farley continued. "You can make safe, healthy choices, and work together as a team, come together as a unit, communicate with each other and have fun."

Mr. Farley encouraged the Airmen in attendance to apply those ideas to being a wingman, where communication and camaraderie are essential.

"Even though my brother isn't here, I feel him here with me," he said. "My brother is my wingman."