If you didn't know Fred Wellman

was dead serious about being a soldier, you'd think he was plum crazy.

He laughs recalling a scenario

from Operation Desert Storm when his chopper was almost shot down by friendly

fire. He tells a friend if he dies, "You will know it's because I

didn't duck fast enough."

Perhaps it's easier to joke

about death when your children are playing your straight men. The former

Peachtree City mayoral candidate is now a commissioned major with the

U.S. Army in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) based in Ft. Campbell,

Ky. He's preparing to leave any day now for parts unknown in the Persian

Gulf ready to do battle along with about 18,000 soldiers and 270 helicopters.

Wellman's four children understand

their dad's going to war. They also comprehend the grave consequences.

A recent exchange with 5-year-old son Hunter went like this:

"Dad, are you gonna die?"

"Well, I don't plan on

it."

"OK."

Then there's 6-year-old daughter

Morgan, who brought the house down with this one-liner: "I hope you

don't die 'cause I'll have to get another daddy."

It's those moments with the

kids that Wellman will miss when he leaves them and his wife, Crystal.

A 14-year Army veteran, Wellman

was almost shot down while scouting targets in Desert Storm for Apache

units to attack. He heard the explosions rock his OH-58 Scout helicopter.

"We're taking fire!"

he shouted into the mike. "We're taking fire."

Then he heard another voice

on the radio: "Oh, it was me. Sorry."

One of Fred's own Apaches had

almost shot him down and snuffed him out for good. While he chewed the

lieutenant out afterwards, now it's just a wacky memory to him.

"Oh, it was funny ,"

said Wellman, who returned to the U.S. Army after the Sept. 11 attacks

in 2001 to help do paperwork at Fort MacPherson. He dropped out of the

mayor's race to do it, giving up his wishes to serve the city so he could

serve his country. The desk gig was fun and interesting, but it drove

him crazy.

And that's how Wellman ended

up in charge of a bunch of 18-year-old soldiers at Fort Campbell, showing

them how to get ready for war if necessary.

"I really had the itch

to get back down where the rifles were," Wellman said. "I wanted

to be defending our country."

This time, Wellman will do

some flying but he's more on the management side of the equation since

he's the unit's operations officer. He has been in charge of training

his troops, and their specialty will be in rescue and recovery missions.

In other words: "If someone gets shot down behind enemy lines, we

got to get them," he explained.

"I'm having the time of

my life. I'm flying back in the cockpit again, although not often, and

seeing these young kids ..."

Some of the soldiers in Wellman's

unit are only 18 years old. He was surprised how well they turned out,

soldier-wise. And teaching those kids gave Wellman a little incentive

to work harder.

"At the end of the day

you feel like you've really helped accomplished something" after

training with the youngsters, Wellman said.

When Wellman decided to run

for mayor of Peachtree City, he wanted to be the voice in the middle.

He thought the needed a mayor who was, "somebody nice and quiet who

didn't make headlines everywhere, did the business of running the people's

government and didn't take credit for it all."

After 9/11, however, the call

to politics wasn't as strong as the call to fight for America, and Wellman

bowed out of the race so he could rejoin the Army.

Wellman is particularly excited

about the capabilities of the 101st, which uses 270 helicopters to attack

targets and transport infantry troops for a surprise ground attack. "We

can show up just about anywhere. We'll show up at your back door one day,"

Wellman said. "It really forces the enemy to fight in a different

way."

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