Jessica Varney from Pickens County has dedicated the last year to helping save military and veteran lives through suicide prevention.
On Friday, the Thunderbirds showed their appreciation by taking her for the ride of a lifetime.
"It's pretty rare to get to see the Thunderbirds up close, and the chances of flying with them are very small," said Vice Wing Commander, Kevin Hicock.
Varney was selected for what the Thunderbirds call a "Hometown Hero" flight after being nominated by her community.
Thunderbird pilot, Lt. Col. Ryan Yingling says it was an honor to get to take her up in the sky.
"For her to not have a military background and take on that role means a lot to us," Lt. Col. Yingling explained. "It was just a small token of our appreciation to what she is doing for her community and our military community."
After landing and recovering from her flight, Varney spoke about her time with the Thunderbirds.
"It was amazing and I would do it again if I could," she said.
Varney says, although it was wonderful to be recognized, she still wanted all of the attention to be focused on her cause.
"Mental health is just as important as physical health. Flying in an F-16 is something I never thought I'd do but more than that it's highlighting this message," she stated.
The Thunderbirds will perform tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 in the Air and Space Show at Shaw Air Force Base. The base encourages people to get there early to make sure they get a seat.
For further details on the show schedule, you can visit the Shaw Air Force Base website.