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reasons to give

and growing 111

With each graduating class the reasons for graduates, parents and friends of the

Academy to make private contributions continue to grow. Currently, more than 43,000 graduates and cadets are impacted by private gifts to the Air Force Academy Fund of the Association of Graduates.

By making your gift this year, you

provide the funding necessary to ensure AOG-sponsored programs and services remain available for today's cadets and the graduate community.

For more information about making a donation, contact the AOGs Office of Annual

Giving at (719) 472-0300 or Regina.Clark@aogusafa.org. To learn more about the importance of private funding and to make your gift online, visit www.usafa.org.

Make your gift today!

The Air Force Academy Fund

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CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2008

COLUMNS LETTERS

5

FROM THE BOARD ROOM

9

INTRODUCING THE NEW CEO OF THE AOG

4

CALENDAR

8

CCATI ippC IlA I U l\LJ 12

TROY CALHOUN, '89, LEADERSHIP COACH

Taking the Air Force to its first bowl game in five years was no easy task. Coach Calhoun reveals

his thoughts on the challenges ahead.

36

RISING STAR

Billboard Top 40 recording artist Bettina

performs for cadets.

66

MISSION TO THE BRIDGE

Darrel Whitcomb, '69, relives the mission that

might have claimed the lives of his assault group.

20

THE ROBIN OLDS FACTOR

Flying Ace takes his place among the Air Force's most legendary aviators.

ON THE COVER

Falcon Football coach Troy Calhoun makes waves in the Mountain West Conference. Story on Page 12.

Photos by Lewis Carlyle

2

Association of Graduates UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

3116 Academy Drive

USAF Academy, CO 80840-4475

Customer Service: (719) 472-0300 DSN: 333-2067 Fax: (719) 333-4194

E-mail: aog@aogusafa.org

Web Site: www.usafa.org

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

President/CEO: William 'T' Thompson '73

OFF THE SHELF

COMMUNICATIONS Director of Communication & Senior Editor: Bob McAllister

Editor & Photographer: Lewis Carlyle Senior Designer: Sarah Wright

42

NEWS OF NOTE

62

MATCHING MOUNTAINS AND FULFILLING MISSIONS (PART 2)

15

CUTTING EDGE

58

MEET THE CLASS OF 2012

Class News Editor: Tom Kroboth

|

Advertising: Paige Buoye Web Site: Matt Kleve & Kyle Davidson

USAFA AND SINGAPORE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jim Wheeler, "64, Board Chair

32

ONCE UPON A TIME

48

BOOK REVIEW

44

WALDO DUMBSQUAT

50

WORTH 1000 WORDS

26

GDS SCHOLARS

56

LONG BLUE LINE

Pat Rosenow, '76, Vice Chair

Bill Stealey, '70, Treasurer

Michael Banks, '92 Bill Boisture '67 Kevin Carmichael, '77

|

PHOTO ESSAY

Steve Dotson, '63

Mike Flynn, '95 Allison Hickey, '80

Bob Munson, '73

16

REAL WORLD DEPLOYMENT

47

CADET'S OPERATION AIR FORCE

46

MILITARY SYMPOSIUM

60

MISSILE MAKES FARE WELL

SPORTS 70

TOMORROW'S LEADERS FORGED THROUGH COMPETITION TODAY

75

2008 FALL VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

Terry Storm, '61 George Van Wagenen,

Checkpoints (ISSN 0274-7391) USPS 898-080 is published quarterly in March, June, September and December by the Association of Graduates, U.S. Air Force Academy. (Phone: 719-472-0300, DSN: 3332067. FAX: 719-333-4194, E-mail: editor@aogusafa. org.) A portion of your dues pays for your magazine subscription. Additional copies may he purchased for $2.50 each, plus $4,60 for shipping. Periodicals postage paid at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., and additional mailing offices. POST MASTER: Send change of address to Checkpoints Association of Graduates, ,

Doolittle Hall, 3116 Academy Drive, USAF Academy,

BACK OF THE BOOK

CO 80840-4475.

81

CHAPTER NEWS

Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policy or attitude of the Association of Graduates,

85

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

advertisements in this publication does not constitute

its officers or the editorial staff. The appearance of an

92

CLASS NEWS

endorsement by the Association of Graduates of

the products or services advertised. Copyrigh t, Association of Graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy,

March 2008.

he Association of Graduates

T

of the United States Air Force

Academy has announced the selection of William L.

Thompson, ’73, as the organizations president and chief executive officer.

Known as “T” to classmates and

friends, he brings years of experience to the AOG as an

award-winning entrepreneur, airline pilot, community and government leader, tax attorney,

and public speaker.

While working as a Delta Air Lines

pilot, he owned several successful small businesses, and served on boards of directors of a number of diverse organi-

zations, rang i ng from national charities to local banks.

Thompson also served

for 17 years as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission—under three different governors from both political parties.

Service to organizations such as

the American Cancer Society, Bank of

America, Boeing, Boy Scouts of America, and 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc. further enhances his impressive resume.

In looking at what our fellow service

academy’s alumni associations have accomplished, Thompson set his sights high. “There is no reason why we can’t organize our grads and friends of the AOG and the Academy to surpass those excellent organizations in what they do for their members and their institutions. That’s my goal going in.”

As a cadet, Thompson was a receiver on

the 1971 Falcon team that went

AOG ANNOUNCES to the

Sugar Bowl, and as a firstie he served on Wing Staff.

Thompson starts on August 15th.

He succeeds Gary Howe, ’69 who has been serving as CEO since the retirement of

Jim Shaw, ’67, who left the

position in March after over 15 years of service to the organization. B

4

Prodding the President “Since I can’t find a better place to vent, I’ll send my little

is no such thing as class shoes and formation shoes. All shoes are

“memo” to the AOG in the hope it strikes a resonant chord with

the same when wearing my uniform and that’s spit shined!” We

other grads who were disappointed in the behavior of the Class of

were to

2008 at last Wednesday’s graduation.

semester he would

“I was very disappointed with the lack of professionalism displayed

by our Air Force’s newly-commissioned Academy grads at their graduation ceremony on May 28.1 was equally dismayed at the lack of action on the part of Academy staff to control the gross excess of celebratory behavior and embarrassing demonstration of disrespect for our Commander-in-Chief during this nationally broadcast event. As a grad, I understand the exuberant feeling of accomplishment that follows a rigorous four years of military, academic and athletic challenges at our institution.

Unfortunately, this exuberance was inappropriately and injudiciously exhibited during this commencement by: Chest and fist-bumping, cell phone-calling, autograph-seeking, hugging, kissing and prodding the President ofthe United States to wave at family and friends; excessive, over-the-top post-diploma-receiving hugs, dances, flips, etc. for which a number of ex-cadets fell over in a distinctly unprofessional heap of parade uniforms; a steady procession of new lieutenants heading to the bathroom, looking for and waving at friends and family and posing for pictures along the way; and loudly and visibly chatting it up with their former classmates upon returning to their seats after receiving their diplomas—during the presentation of diplomas to the classmates who followed them. The class of2008 deserves kudos for making it through four long, hard years; they do not—nor does the Academy staff—deserve any accolades for not showing families, friends, alumni or the rest of the nation the difference between an academy graduate and a civilian college graduate. For that, I am sorely grieved.”

John Aiken, Class of 1982

be in our “best uniform at all times.” For the rest of the

inspect our appearance whether in the Chem Lab in the middle of an experiment, or in the classroom. Oh yeah, he always “gigged” someone!

I remember Major Meier’s “war stories,” especially the one when he was flying his C-119 gunship one night. He told us the North Vietnamese did “Tokyo Rose” type transmissions. Major Meier used his ADF and had the channel tuned in. He told us

he was flying around yelling at the radio transmission “you keep

talking you S.O.B, I’m homing in on you with my ADF!” They “squeezed off a few rounds” and the transmission went silent.”

He continued: “I don’t know if we killed him or scared the s out of him but he went off the air!”

Another story he shared was his desire to go to home football games. As the falconers were releasing their bird for the half time show, he wanted to release a pigeon to see “some real half time

action.” I was in stitches for many such stories for the semester.

Most of all, I remember the chats he would have with us

about USAFA, about what it meant to be a graduate, especially a

member of the first class. They set the standard. They were the

first and he was going to pass on that passion, that desire, that

heritage to each student that made it to his classroom. We should also keep the traditions alive and pass them on as we became members of the Long Blue Line.

So thank you Colonel Meier. You made an impression on at least one of your students. I can’t say you taught me Chemistry. I can say you taught me some life lessons I’ll never forget.

Mike Spain, Class of 1978

Some Real Half Time Action As I sat and read the article 50 Years Later in the June 2008

Undercover

Checkpoints, I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle as I read the name Charles Meier, Class of’59! I immediately had a flashback to Doolie Chemistry. I have long lost my knowledge of Chemistry, but I will never forget Major Charles Meier.

In presenting their recruitment to their friends and families,

,

The class was called to attention and in walked Major Charles Meier in his impeccable uniform; Alpha Blouse blazing with rib-

bons and the shiniest wings I’d ever seen. The class was not told to

take seats. Instead, as we stood at attention, Major Meier made

his way around the class room inspecting uniforms. He told us we

looked terrible in his unique command voice! He told us: “There

universities and their alumni associations frequently publish

figures describing the demographics of the classes in attendance.

Included are the numbers of female and minority students. The

figures suggest that we all count how many of each color and sex

is included in any group of students to ascertain whether the

proper ratios exist. Universities further advertise their purportedly successful integration efforts by posing photos to include just the

right mix of students, all the while knowing that the photos often bear no relation to statistical reality. Individuals familiar with the

CHECKPOINT S, S E P T E M B ER 2 0 0 8

5

school recognize the fraud when they see it, but few cry foul and no one

is held accountable for the deception.

The Academy and the AOG are not exceptional when it comes these practices. A recent email from the Academy with statistics for the Class of 2008 coincided with publication of the June 2008

Checkpoints issue. The tiresome demographic statistics came at a perfect time for use as a metric for determining just how inaccurate is the AOG’s representation of the 2008 graduating class as presented on the Checkpoints cover. Based upon the Academy’s statistics, the front page of the AOG magazine seriously misrepresents the face of the graduating class of 2008.

Looking at the photos of the graduates, one could justifiably conclude that females made up 52% of the class. That conclusion would be wrong. The actual figure for women constituting

members of the Class of 2008 is 19%. Further, based upon the cover was

photos, one could logically conclude that the class of 2008

30% minority. Alas, that conclusion would also be inaccurate.

The minority figure was 20% was

.

So much for assuming the photo

intended as a true reflection of a cross-section of the Class of

Need help

finding a job

'

2008 and the changes from the first graduating class.

When presenting itself and the Academy to the public, I would

hope that AOG would consider using some sort of “core value” such as “integrity first.” Integrity includes accuracy in reporting and making presentations and representations, no matter how subtle, of facts about the Academy.

Looking to advance your career

Jonathan Davis, TAMU Class of 1980 JSAJE is an exclusive site

Remembering Walter Netsch

Pioneering architect Walter Netsch Jr., the designer of the Air Force Academy chapel, died June 15 at the age of 88 in his Chicago home.

In fact Netsch lead the design team that developed the Skidmore proposal that won the competition for design of the Academy.

Ffe then led the team that completed the design and became the Skidmore on-site supervisor for the construction itself. When the Congress rejected the initial design for the Chapel, Netsch took a one-year sabbatical and developed the design of the Chapel we have.

I know it’s being picky, but to describe Netsch simply as designer of the chapel so understates his role in the Academy we all know, I thought it important to correct the record.

All best wishes, Brad Hosmer, Class of 1959

specifically designed for service academy alumni. Whether you are looking for a new job or different career, JSAJE is the place for you to make it happen. Log on to JSAJE to browse job listings and contact employers.

Not actively looking for a job? Sign up for Job Retriever and let it alert you when jobs according to your

search criteria become available.

JSAJE also contains a resume

database through which companies can search for

promising candidates.

Letters Submission Guidelines

Checkpoints welcomes letters from its readers. Please limit your submission to 250 words. For your letter to be consid-

ered, you must include your name and graduating year, if you are an Academy graduate.

Letters should be e-mailed to editor@aogusafa.org. ||

6

Checkpoints reserves the right to edit all submissions.

service academies

jobs electronically

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As cadets and graduates of the Academy, you hold integrity

in the highest regard. Your official ring is created with that

same

integrity by Jostens, your partner in expressing pride

in the United States Air Force Academy.

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THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF ACTIVITY in the AOG Boardroom

in recent months

...

here are some quick updates in some areas that

will be of general interest: NEW CEO

By unanimous vote on 9 August 2008, the Board enthusiastically approved the hiring of William ‘T’ Thompson, ’73 to become the AOG President and CEO. His exceptional credentials and extensive entrepreneurial and nonprofit

experience are on page 4 of this issue of Checkpoints. The Board and the AOG staff are all elated that he has joined our management team.

As we announce this change, it is also appropriate to take just a minute to offer thanks on behalf of the Board and

membership to Gary Howe, ’69, who has served as the CEO since last January. Gary’s long tenure at the AOG uniquely qualified him to serve as CEO while the CEO Search Committee worked with professional consultants to identify and hire the new CEO. Gary brought positive leadership and a tireless work ethic to his duties that set a strong example for the Staff and benefited the Board of Directors greatly. He will now reassume his duties as Senior Vice President and will continue to many facets of AOG daily operations.

And, not to be overlooked, the hard work and dedication of several

oversee

individuals involved with the CEO Search process needs to be rec-

ognized. Steve Dotson, ’63, served as Chair of both the CEO Search

Committee and the CEO Negotiations Committee. His able and

the Bylaws adopted by the membership in 2006. Your skills could

focused efforts to keep the process organized and moving forward

make a difference, and you can be sure that there is always room

fundamental to the success realized. Directors Terry Storm,

for good ideas and energetic members in the AOG Boardroom.

was

’61, and George Van Wagenen, ’67, served on the Search Committee along with AOG members Bob Munson, ’73, and Lou Michels, ’77. Director Steve Finch, ’65, participated along with Steve, Terry, and George on the Negotiations Committee.

The work of both Committees was augmented by the profes-

sional services Heidrick and Struggles, Inc. provided pro bono to the AOG by Randy Jayne, ’66, and Bob Edmonds, ’79. They both gave of their time and expertise in the spirit of helping the AOG and the Academy, and their astute insights facilitated the search

and hiring adventure greatly.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Another significant step forward occurred at the August Board

Meeting when the Board filled the positions of elected directors James Sanchez, ’90, and Fred Gregory, ’64, who resigned for personal reasons. In accordance with the bylaws, Bob Munson, ’73, and Mike Banks, ’92, were elected to fill these positions until the next election. Mike has served as Board Secretary since July 2007 and his involvement in all aspects of Board business have prepared him well to be a Director. Bob served on the CEO Search Committee and is Secretary of the Class Advisory Senate. Drawing on this

background, Bob will be able to offer new and informed perspectives to help the Board establish policies to guide the AOG going forward. We are fortunate to have interested and dedicated graduates like Mike and Bob who are willing to give of their time and talents when called upon to serve the AOG. 2009 BOARD ELECTIONS A schedule has been set; the Nominating Committee has received

Board Guidance and the NC has a new Chairman

George Van Wagenen, ’67, and a new Vice Chair ‘Wild Bill’ Stealey, ’70. Wth -

these procedural changes taken care of, the focus will now become

identifying volunteers to stand for election next April. As the AOG bylaws specify (Article IX and Article XII), there are two avenues for interested members to be placed on the ballot. This time around, the NC will be working with the candidates to help them get their views and campaign platforms in front of the members. We plan to make generous use of media; and, in case you missed the earlier announcement, be advised that the voting in 2009 will be done electronically.

I have great respect for all AOG members who have served on

the AOG Board, and I can assure you that they did not volunteer to be Directors for the

pay or the short hours—there is no pay and

the hours are very long. Couple those factors with the requirement to attend four

meetings a year at the Academy, to participate in telephone conferences for Committee and Board meetings, to deal with an endless stream of

e-mails, and to interact with

members in person and electronically on all aspects of the AOG. Most people will decide that they just don’t have the time. But, if

that description does not dampen your enthusiasm to serve, you

need to review the bylaws and start planning your campaign. The

operative reality is that the AOG is a membership association and every member has both a responsibility and the opportunity to participate in the governance of the corporation as specified in 10

AOG FUNDRAISING

Wth apologies to Mark Twain, “The rumor of the death of fundrais-

ing at the Association of Graduates is gready exaggerated.” In fact, the truth is quite the opposite. AOG Bylaws specify that a core purpose of the AOG is “... to raise private funds to support and develop Academy, cadet, and graduate programs that would not otherwise be funded.”

Clearly, it would not be possible to fulfill that core purpose without raising private funds and your AOG is aggressively continuing the successful fundraising programs that have served the Academy well for many years. Recendy, a new Major Gift Officer was hired and, in response to member requests, new ideas are being integrated into existing programs to encourage younger graduates to become active in supporting the AOG and our school. The AOG will continue to work cooperatively with all of the nonprofit entities that support the Academy, and we look to the future with great optimism.

A FINAL THOUGHT

On my return trip to San Antonio after the August Board Meet-

ing at the Academy, I found myself with some down time in the Denver airport while waiting for a delayed departure. While looking for a place to plug in my laptop, I noticed a USO sign and impulsively opted to drop in to see if there was room for one more traveler. It was no great surprise to see the collection of young men and women wearing uniforms from all of the services gathered around the TV watching the Olympics, but I had underestimated what I would find and the emotional impact I would experience.

My first impression was that the government must have lowered the age for recruits—they all looked to be high school age at best. Then, I noticed most were armed with cell phones and a small device that had thin wires connected to their ears. I nearly laughed out loud at my own initial observations, but upon closer inspection I soon noticed that almost without exception each of them had an air of confidence that belied their youth. It was great to see them enjoying the Olympic competition, and I was impressed by their enthusiastic cheers for the American athletes while they bantered back and forth and offered serious coaching comments for the competitors.

It was uplifting to see them enjoying each other’s company, joking, exchanging war stories and travel tips, and above all demonstrating pride in being Americans and serving as members of the U.S. military. There was no opportunity at the USO to buy a round for the house to show my appreciation for their service, but I felt the need to move around the room to visit with the ‘kids.’

I quickly learned that many of them were on their way to

assignments in harm’s way. There was little to be said but “Good Luck God’s Speed,” but I felt great pride that we—all USAFA graduates—have been joined by a new generation of patriots that will carry on the proud traditions of the U.S. military in performing their service to our country.

It would be a long shot to even think I’ll ever cross paths with any of the young folks who were in the USO at DIA that day, but I’ll not forget them or our random meeting. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. 9 ...

CHECKPOINTS, SEPTEMBER 2008

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IN 1985, A BRIGHT-EYED, ENTHUSIASTIC SERVICE ACADEMY (

OREGON, GOT HIS FIRST TASTE OF AIR FORCE FOOTBALL .

RECRUITED AS A QUARTERBACK BY THEN COACH FISHER OPTION OFFENSE, TROY CALHOUN LEARNED QUICKLY WHA1 '

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SUCCESSFUL AND COMPETITIVE TEAM. HE LETTERED HIS FRESI ON TO FINISH WITH A NATIONALLY RANKED 12-1 SEASON THAT CUL TEXAS IN THE BLUEBONNET BOWL.

factly stated. Due to his own experienc he does have great understanding and appreciation for the demands and obli-

coaching style to be more adaptive and flexible, yet still focused and effective.

Calhoun will be the first to admit he h

high expectations, but he does put it all into perspective.

“First and foremost, what your

obligation is here as a staff member or coach in this case is to make sure these guys are extraordinarily well prepared

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graduate from the Air Force Academy ana to ser?e on active duty,” he to

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ruture endeavors, and you never know ...

where that may be.”

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t expect to

win.

But in a division that seems to get more

competitive each year, the Falcons face some very unique challenges when it comes to preparation, practice and depth. While other schools in the Mountain West Conference have seemingly unlimited time to game

4

plan, practice and work out, the military, academic and operational commitments each Academy athlete must complete means time for football is much more limited.

“You have to be very meticulous, very

thorough in your practice preparation J because once school begins basically you* have about 95 minutes to practice and jo that means you have to move at a rapier pace from a tempo standpoint,” said | Calhoun. “It means that everythine vdu

do has to be organized in a manner that

last years team. This years recruiting crop

that has been lacking in recent years is fan

you get a chance to cover everything so

and core of younger players has potential,

that you know you’re well prepared once

but lacks playing time.

support. According to the USAFA Athletic ticket office, average attendance last season

you get to Saturdays.” Fie added, “The

“For this year, the single biggest chal-

other part of it [which is] as challenging

lenge I think is trying to equip these guys from an experience standpoint and try to replace the game-day experience that they don’t have and that means you have to do a superb job in training and development, and that’s on the practice field doing everything you possibly can to simulate what a game day is like,”

of an endeavor as I think you’re probably

going to have in coaching is being at a service academy and competing in one of college football’s seven major conferences playing a schedule where year-in and year-out you’re going to have to face ever

six bowl teams.”

This challenge means Calhoun has to

rely upon the team leaders to keep his

have some playing experience; I think

evident year in and year out.

“First of all, we need an immense amount of support from the

graduate community and I think sometimes were shy about asking. I’ve always thought there’s nobody that is more proud of where they went to school than graduates of the Air Force Academy,” he beamed, adding, “I think specifically, it means buying season tickets, it means purchasing bowl tickets

to be

competitive each year. Calhoun said it’s

whenever we have those opportunities

...

and then certainly coming out to Falcon

“This is the ultimate team institution,

Stadium because as a team and an institu-

‘ok, I’ve done it.’ The other part is you

and the thing you try to breed here is

have to be a phenomenal example. That’s

individual drive, but collectively it’s always

in the weight room, that’s in film study;

him to work hard every day.

practice each day and you’ve got to be a

going to be about unity and team spirit,” he said, adding this unity, as well as the academic reputation, is what drives many

guy that produces.

recruits to want to come here.

Air Force Academy. I mean, this is the best

it’s in the kind of vigor that you bring to

tion we certainly feed off of that spirit.”

Calhoun stated it’s that spirit that drives “You feel a ton of pride being a part of this school, especially as a graduate of the

“We’ve got a bunch of them that I think

“One, you have an extraordinary oppor-

school. This is the world’s greatest leadership

will emerge as tremendous leaders, which

tunity—that’s the education part of it, the chance to graduate from the Air Force Academy. And the other part of it, too, is that you make some phenomenal friendships. Those are the bonds that probably separate this place from any other institution in the country.”

institution and when you talk about academ-

they should, especially being here at the Air Force Academy.” Coach Calhoun referenced players like tight end C1C Travis Dekker, defensive end C1C Ryan Kemp and nose guard ClC Jared Marvin. They

will definitely have their work cut out for

them, as Dekker, Ryan and Marvin are three of only eight starters returning from 14

year, but nowhere near where Calhoun hopes. Falcon Stadium capacity is 52,480.

The Falcons have a lot stacked against

them, but there is a reason why they continue

38,068; a slight gain from the previ-

ous

Calhoun stated.

prayers focused. Calhoun defines an ideal leader by adding, “I think you have to

legitimately you have to have shown that,

was

ics, when you talk about relationships, when you talk about toughness, when you talk about heart, when you talk about spirit, that’s the United States Air Force Academy and

absolutely I allow that to propel me every single day that I work at the Academy.” H

You can bet the football team will come

together as a collective unit, but one thing 8

THE TIES THAT BIND A LOOK AT THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

ACADEMY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SINGAPORE

BY JULIE IMADA

partnership that spans cultures and nearly two decades, the United States Air Force Academy and the Republic of Singapore have taken steps to expand and solidify their academic and research relationship.

In the spring of 2008, USAFA Dean of the Faculty Brigadier General Dana H. n a

I

Born, ’80, and several members of the fac-

ulty traveled to Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to attend the official signing of an international Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between USAFA and NTU. The CRADA will offer cadets and

faculty at the Academy new research and cultural opportunities, while students and faculty from Singapore will benefit from faculty and student research exchange opportunities. The agreement also offers the chance to pursue shared research publications and grants.

“This collaboration not only benefits

both of our institutions’ faculty and student bodies, but is an important step in

furthering the goodwill between our two countries,” Gen. Born said of the CRADA and her visit to Nanyang.

This effort will help to develop the researchers and students who will lead

Singapore’s future scientific endeavors, while also contributing to the international experience of the next generation of Air Force officers.

This is just one example of how the

Academy’s learning-focused curriculum and cadet research efforts continue to enhance and support the mission of USAFA and the

Air Force. It also affirms our commitment to

fostering institutional and inter-governmental relationships between the United States and its foreign allies.

The leadership of the Republic of Singapore Air Force directly reflects the strong ties between USAFA and Singapore.

USAFA Singaporean graduates have gone on to high-level positions among the RSAF command, ranging from unmanned aerial

operations to squadron and pilot officers.

RSAF Col. Chee Meng Ng, Class of 1990, spent his upper-class years at USAFA in Cadet Squadron 34 and graduated with a

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engi-

Brig. Gen. Dana Born (second from right) observes the robotics lab in Singapore.

neering. He also obtained a Masters in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is an

operational pilot of the F-3S and F-16D, and has served in several command positions. Today Col. Ng is Director of the RSAF Joint Operations Department.

While at USAFA, Class of 1994 graduate Lt. Col. Kok Pin Pang was a member of CS-1 and majored in Aeronautical Engineering. After graduation, Lt. Col. Pang became one of the RSAF’s pioneer Apache Attack Helicopter pilots and served as a flight commander for both the RSAF AS-550 Fennec Helicopter and Apache squadrons. He is currently the head of the RSAF HQ Training and Doctrine Command Air-Land Integration Branch.

Maj. Phillip Khoo, Class of 2002, is a qualified helicopter pilot on the AS-332 Super Puma and the AH-64D Apache. He is currently serving as a staff officer in the RSAF Air Operations Department. Class CHECKPOINTS, SEPTEMBER 2008

of 2006 graduate Capt Shawn Ingkiriwang is an A-4 Super Skyhawk pilot trainee in

Cazaux, France.

“Our past interaction with Singapore has helped us develop Air Force leaders for

both nations,” said Gen. Born. “Thanks to this

CRADA, we can now look forward

stronger relationship. Air Force officers have always needed scientific and to an even

engineering knowledge, but the current generation of cadets must have greater intercultural competence and involvement.

This is one of the concrete steps we are

taking to achieve these outcomes.” S

real-world deployment Cadets experience .

class of the Air Force Colo., are visiting the 379th

Nineteen cadets from the senior in Colorado Springs,

here during the month of June Wing :ditionary as part of the Academy’s an

active-duty deployment

ir Force program, which allows

to

students to visit

:he world each summer, in the states—including comback cessing and firing weapons—to immunizations, puter-based training, in maintenance back shops and hands their dirty getting their cadre are getting the

pilots, these cadets and

shadowing full experience.

in a classroom,” said Maj. David

“You can’t teach this the officer in charge of the Academy proHigginbotham, When you raised is an expeditionary Air Force.

“This gram. base or commit to going to your didnt hand, you your right to be worldwide for 20 years. You are signing up preference

deployable.”

are in the squadvisit this made possible who “The people the wing plans and programs Hsia, said Justin rons,” Capt. of this year’s cadet visit. coordinator the and officer executive as to as many different functions them to was “Our goal expose for them to a opportunity been it’s phenomenal possible, and exercises you participate learn. Because, no matter how many

by Senior Airman Carolyn

Viss

3y9th Ain Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs will teach you more than environment a at look deployed in, ever learn stateside.” you could units and two weeks in the maintenance about Spending with a few squadrons, with flying two operational another a

out to

medical, communications, security forces,

branching the and space/missiles, the cadets are learning contracting Force mission going.

teamwork it takes to keep the Air

for what people do appreciation “As far as developing is concerned, this is the single of the in (area responsibility) Cadet Liam we could have,” said an

important experience “We’ve got cadets out there mai the cadet-in-charge.

Conley, sorties, performing maintenance aircraft, scheduling shalling that store bloc even fixing the refrigerators and refueling jets had a chance to do

most

We’ve

transshipment center here. war effort.” that’s solid contribution to the something their interaction: Their deployment experience, including is with sister-service and coalition missions, “unprecedented

at the

a

by any

said. other AFA program, Cadet Conley

“It hits hon

THE TIES THAT BIND A LOOK AT THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

ACADEMY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SINGAPORE

BY JULIE IMADA

partnership that spans cultures and nearly two decades, the United States Air Force Academy and the Republic of Singapore have taken steps to expand and solidify their academic and research relationship.

In the spring of 2008, USAFA Dean of the Faculty Brigadier General Dana H. n a

I

Born, ’80, and several members of the faculty traveled to Singapore’s Nanyang Tech-

nological University (NTU) to attend the official signing of an international Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between USAFA and NTU. The CRADA will offer cadets and

faculty at the Academy new research and cultural opportunities, while students and faculty from Singapore will benefit from faculty and student research exchange opportunities. The agreement also offers the chance to pursue shared research publications and grants.

“This collaboration not only benefits

both of our institutions’ faculty and student bodies, but is an important step in

furthering the goodwill between our two countries,” Gen. Born said of the CRADA and her visit to Nanyang.

This effort will help to develop the

researchers and students who will lead

Singapore’s future scientific endeavors, while also contributing to the international experience of the next generation of Air Force officers.

This is just one example of how the

Academy’s learning-focused curriculum and cadet research efforts continue to enhance and support the mission of USAFA and the

flpIN

Air Force. It also affirms our commitment to

fostering institutional and inter-governmental relationships between the United States and its foreign allies.

The leadership of the Republic of Singapore Air Force directly reflects the strong ties between USAFA and Singapore.

USAFA Singaporean graduates have gone on to high-level positions among the RSAF command, ranging from unmanned aerial operations to squadron and pilot officers.

RSAF Col. Chee Meng Ng, Class of 1990, spent his upper-class years at USAFA in Cadet Squadron 34 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He also obtained a Masters in

Brig. Gen. Dana Born (second from right) observes the robotics lab in Singapore.

International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is an

operational pilot of the F-5S and F-16D, and has served in several command positions. Today Col. Ng is Director of the RSAF Joint Operations Department.

While at USAFA, Class of 1994 graduate Lt. Col. Kok Pin Pang was a member of CS-1 and majored in Aeronautical Engineering. After graduation, Lt. Col. Pang became one of the RSAF’s pioneer Apache Attack Helicopter pilots and served as a flight commander for both the RSAF AS-550 Fennec Helicopter and Apache squadrons. He is currently the head of the RSAF HQ Training and Doctrine Command Air-Land Integration Branch.

Maj. Phillip Khoo, Class of 2002, is a qualified helicopter pilot on the AS-332 Super Puma and the AH-64D Apache. He is currently serving as a staff officer in the RSAF Air Operations Department. Class CHECKPOINTS, SEPTEMBER 2008

of 2006 graduate Capt Shawn Ingkiriwang is an A-4 Super Skyhawk pilot trainee in

Cazaux, France.

“Our past interaction with Singapore has helped us develop Air Force leaders for both nations,” said Gen. Born. “Thanks to this

CRADA, we can now look forward

stronger relationship. Air Force officers have always needed scientific and to an even

engineering knowledge, but the current generation of cadets must have greater intercultural competence and involvement.

This is one of the concrete steps we are

taking to achieve these outcomes.” S3

go out there and see the (Combined Air and Space Operations Center), Aussies, tornados, the embassy and state department. It to

puts

a new

spin

on our

idea of a ‘coalition’ experience.

”

“Sitting down and talking with sister services and coalition partners really shows how we all have a unique and valuable role in the mission,” Cadet Conley said.

“It’s very refreshing and energizing,” Cadet Caroline Tetrick said.

“At the Academy, you’re a little sheltered from the war. Being in an academic environment day to day makes you feel a little disconnected from the active-duty lifestyle; but out here, something as simple as changing a brake on an aircraft has real mission impact.

This isn’t a training mission. They’re out there dropping real bombs on real targets.”

It also gives cadets the opportunity to work alongside airmen they will lead and work for in the future, said Master Sgt. William Hutto, the enlisted leader of the group. Nineteen more cadets are scheduled to visit the wing in July.

“I’ve never been in an operational squadron, and other than knowing

that they fly, I don’t really know what they do,” said Caroline Tetrick,

visiting cadet who has a pilot slot waiting for her when she graduates from the Academy with a degree in behavioral science and leadership this spring. “Seeing the ops tempo here is really good because I get to see what I’ll really be doing (when I commission).” sm a

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C H E C K P OIN T S, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

19

) fT | 0 Lb« d U The famous ace influ need Generations of the front.

Few American airmen have had the ind of dazzling talent and charisma possessed by Robin O ds. His person loomed equally larqe whether frorr the cockpit, from the ctern or in face-to-face 4

»

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Olds was big, tough, smart, and swag-

gering, not to mention brave and highly skilled. Even Hollywood would have had a hard time portraying the genuine article on the big screen. He was a truly dynamic force, one who had a positive impact on the Air Force for more than 60 years.

s

...

,

Born on July 14, 1922 in Honolulu, Olds

the ground. His knowledge of air combat

the son of Robert Olds, a fighter pilot

in World War I and later an aide to Billy

grew with his victories and so did his willingness to speak out about his beliefs—no

Mitchell. Eloise, Olds’ mother, died when

matter how

was

he was four, and he was brought up by his

father, who gave him his first flight at the

contrary they were to current doctrine. It was a trait that would work more

often against him than for him.

“His influence upon who we are as an

age of eight, in an open-cockpit biplane.

In his later years, Robin Olds would speak

FROM P-5 IS TO P-80S

Air Force today can hardly be overstated,”

with admiration of the great leaders—Ira C.

At the peak of the air war against Germany,

Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff,

Eaker, Carl A. Spaatz, and others—who met often at his home, as his father eventually

Olds saw how heavy bombers’ precision

remarked on the death of the retired brigadier general last June. Olds was “a staunch

rose to

advocate for better fighters, better pilot

training,” and the innovative tactics that the Air Force still uses today, Moseley said.

Olds’ effect on USAF varied both in con-

the rank of major general.

Robin began to gain prominence while a cadet at West Point, where he played tackle on

both offense and defense and was named

an

All American. (Olds was so proficient on

attacks were being converted into area bomb-

ing by wind, weather, and enemy opposition.

He put forth the idea that 70 P-5 Is

armed with 500-pound bombs could do more

damage to a target requiring precise

accuracy than a formation of 1,000 B-17s.

As an idea, it was 20 years ahead of

tent and in

the football field that he was inducted into the

first era, which ran from West Point to his

College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.)

In later years, Olds told of being deliberately struck by an opponent’s forearm in a game

of Olds’ ideas whose time had not yet

chiefly localized. He was achieving notable combat successes, influencing his

against archrival Navy. The blow knocked out

come, a condition that would frustrate him

peers and subordinates, and often antago-

few plays as his bleeding mouth was packed

flamboyant behavior that worked against

nizing his superiors.

In the second, postretirement era his effect spread, and Olds became almost universally embraced, even by those who previously had taken exception to his views.

with cotton. Back in the game, he smashed

both his acceptance and his advancement.

into the man who had hit him, knocking his

The refusal to accept his idea about

opponent flat on his back. Olds stood over him, grinning, pointing to his bleeding mouth

precision bombing was puzzling to him

and then down to the fallen foe.

tions. Most satisfying of all, he was given

timing. His career can easily be divided into two eras. In general terms, the retirement, was a period in which his effect was

Olds had great stories to tell, and he

polished them over the years, weaving them into his presentations with the wit and the timing of a professional actor. He didn’t mind exaggerating the humorous aspects in

two

upper front teeth and sidelined him for a

He graduated from West Point in

its time—and it ran directly contrary to

USAAF philosophy. It was the first of many

over

the years, and helped induce in him

because he was awarded many decoracommand of his squadron as a 22-year-old

1943—the year of his father’s early death—

major. In later life, he sometimes remarked

and months later graduated from pilot

on

the strange “disconnect” between the

training, with his wings being pinned on by Gen. Henry H. “Hap” Arnold himself.

Young Lieutenant Olds was well- trained,

and the rejection of his ideas on the other.

with more than 650 hours in aircraft,

very first Lockheed P-80 jet aircraft squad-

including the Lockheed P-38 Lightning,

ron.

ON THE FIELD

when he entered World War II combat. He

well as a dangerous one, for the loss rate in

His many devoted fans have further

flew with the abandon of a man who knows

the early jet aircraft was high. He also flew

embroidered Olds’ stories, with the result

he is invulnerable and for whom the enemy

with the Aerial Aerobatic Demonstration

that some have become inconsistent over

is only a target.

Team, the forerunner of the Thunderbirds,

some

of his stories, but he never exagger-

ated what he accomplished.

time. One thing is constant: This man was a warrior

20

’

O

i

who led from the front, who

Olds began his sensational rise as a fighter

increase of his responsibility on one hand,

After the war, Olds was placed in the This was a desirable assignment, as

the first American jet aircraft aerobatic team.

cared for his troops, and who never hesi-

pilot in Europe, where he flew 107 missions, scored 12 aerial victories, and destroyed

tated to say exactly what he thought.

another 11 -and-one-half enemy aircraft on

1946 Thompson Trophy Race.

Lor good measure, he also placed

second in the jet aircraft division of the

J;;

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In between these assign War. Vietnam the in and at the Pentagon worked Olds ments, from the National War College. graduated came in good order, yet

His promotions

first-class

his satisfaction in leading despite the admiration in flying units—and despite his officers and enlistee held was he by which Olds

men—there was something missing.

Olds

the 479th Fighter Group in 1944, flying with

in Europe during

wanted the acknowledgement thinker as well as a doer.

World War II.

Unfortunately,

level by He added to his high visibility He and movie star Ella Raines. marrying but remained Raines separated in 1975, in 1988. married until her death to an was his assignment note of Also with the Royal Air Force exchange program Meteor jet fighter where he flew the Gloster position and then served in the prestigious RAF. 1 of commander of No. Squadron, when the Korean War came,

However, considerable effort, Olds was unable, despite

conversa-

back into combat. In private this directly to one attribute would he tions, him in essence, “If told who of his

to get

superiors

I cannot get there not

his ideas on a return

to training geared fighting

air war were rebuffed.

himself by

to

fight, you are certainly

going to get there.”

became deeply dis-

After Korea, Olds he saw being direction the with contented

Tactical Air tactical airpower: taken by focused on became increasingly Command the nuclear mission.

Olds continued to distinguish to ruffle his the and ability brilliant flying was At a time when TAC

His desire to remain

s

in

and development

better pilot

fighters,

SOMETHING MISSING

with his career, Olds became dissatisfied that most fighter pilots despite assignments the comincluded These coveted. would have the 81st Tactical in a of Europe, mand wing

at RAF Bentwaters, England, Wing Fighter was his

Col. Daniel “Chappie” James Jr.

deputy

later,

The two men would team up again and Robin” as “Blackman

becoming famous

n

D

CHECKPO

IT IV

in an active flying to him than his

Olds formec

team and

performed

unauthorized low-level aerobatic display. as and

reprimanded him, up Olds’ promotio ripped punishment, to Sha His boss

papers.

commander for operations.

conventiona

fighter-bombers,

aerial demonstration

bombing.

where

was more

101 Voodoo

of new tactics. He also sought and surgical precision better

training,

a

to

important imminent promotion to brigadier general..

McDonnell the 81st, of flying commander

job

superior feathers. of nuclear weapons, oriented to the delivery continua series of papers, Olds, through in air-to-air for intensive training called ally combat, close air support,

that he was a

His next assignment

was

it seemed his career where S.C., AFB, reached a dead end.

f

hat was true: He the In fact opposite he could retu a situation where

crafted his greatest fame. achieve and combat combat h his since time first For the and events were on Olds

Europe, time

side. The United States

increasingly

was

becoming ’

involved in the Vietnam

was assigned and, in 1966, Olds

to th

4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at

canny. Few in number, they husbanded their

techniques, but this proposal was refused.

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

resources,

striking against Republic F-105 formations when they could do so safely.

Olds elected to retire in 1973.

The North Vietnamese were content, if nec-

By this time, Olds’ influence was already growing. He continued to put forth his

essary, with a preservationist strategy of just

ideas, addressing countless groups around

making the Thunderchiefs drop their bombs before they reached the target area.

It was deeply satisfying for Olds to see

the country, often beginning his talks with

four words that truly characterized him.

Vietnam that all the ideas that he had

sometimes military people, sometimes a

advocated—better airplanes, more training

Rotary Club, it didn’t matter. He would

in air-to-air combat, bombing, and close air

His old friend Chappie James was there, as was

then-Maj. William L. Kirk.

There followed the decisive event that

would foster Olds’ ascent from simply

being a hero to a few and a troublemaker to many. On Sept. 30, 1966, he became commander of the 8 th Tactical Fighter Wing,

based at Ubon AB, Thailand.

The wing needed Olds as badly as he

over

Olds would stand before the group—

needed the wing. He introduced himself to

support—had been correct all along. For

square his shoulders, wait for a few tensionfilled seconds, then shout, “I AM A WAR-

his largely dispirited and tired pilots in his

Robin Olds, it was vindication.

RIOR.” No one ever doubted him.

usual fashion, with a challenge: Olds was

Impatient with the reluctant enemy, Olds conceived a plan that became the single most important air-to-air engagement of

Though he never seemed to seek it out, his popularity continually increased.

the war, and which started him into the

papers on his ideas about aerial warfare. It is the mark of the man that when technol-

going to fly as a new guy until he learned his job—and then he was going to lead the wing into combat from the front.

There was suspicion that this World War II retread was just talking a good game, but Olds soon proved himself to be a master of the F-4 and an inspiring leader.

The stories of his methods are legion. He shook up the base’s support staff, putting

which he had immense effect on virtually

it on the same 24-hour clock as his combat crews.

He continually visited the support

groups, finding out what their problems were in an effort to get them solved. And

second era of his career—the period in everyone in the Air Force.

Calling on the skill and guile of the leading

Olds continued to write influential

ogy at last reached a point where his ideas on training and tactics no longer applied,

he welcomed the change.

members of his wing, Olds created Operation

Olds realized that the advent of stealth,

Bolo. The plan was elegantly simple: Modern

precision guided weapons, and sophisticated

F-4s would imitate the call signs, routes, and

command and control forever changed the

flight profiles of more-vulnerable F-105s in a bid to coax North Vietnamese fighters into

shot down, the biggest score of the war.

dynamics of air combat, and he said so.

He also labored over an autobiography that was not completed by the time of his death, but that would be massively welcorned by his legion of fans.

After a long fight, Robin Olds succumbed to congestive heart failure on June 14, 2007, surrounded by his family and friends. He was

Olds shot down the first of his four

interred at the United States Air Force Acad-

he was not above tipping a bottle of beer

trap. The tactics worked and induced the North Vietnamese Air Force to believe that a

with his airmen as they discussed how to

Phantom formation was indeed a formation

improve operations.

He led his wing as he had promised, from the front, with flair and aggressiveness. Olds ultimately flew 152 missions in Southeast

of Thunderchiefs.

Asia, 105 of them over North Vietnam. He

MiGs in this battle, raising his total

emy Cemetery with full honors and a unique

encouraged camaraderie at the bar, grew an

number of victories to 13 on the way to a

missing man formation. Four Phantoms

unauthorized mustache, and demonstrated

career

at the

a

In the ensuing battle, seven MiG-21 s were

total of 16.

age of 44 that he was the physical,

roared over, and instead of the customary pull up by the lead’s wingman, in this instance, the lead himself pulled up. It was an appropri-

mental, and flying equal—or superior—of

A PROMOTION LONG OVERDUE

any man in his unit.

After his stint in the war, his Air Force career

ate salute to the one,

distinguished by the popularity he enjoyed as a strict but caring commandant of cadets at the Air Force Academy. He finally became a brigadier general in 1968 (a promotion long overdue in the minds of many), but subsequendy was assigned to positions that

leader all his life.

Olds had always had good effect on the

morale of the units he led. He was gregarious,

always concerned about the welfare of his people, and like many of his contemporaries he drank too much for his own good.

His prescient view of the types of training required for air combat was far in advance of most of his superiors. It was ignored for

was

was

the only, Robin Olds, a

Walter J. Boyne former director of the ,

National Air and Space Museum in Wash-

ington, D.C., is a retired Air Force colonel,

did not lend themselves to more promotions.

author, and member ofthe National Aviation

Yet promotions were the furthest thing

Hall ofFame. He has written more than 600

many years because it was contrary to contemporary doctrine—and, in truth, partly

from Olds’ mind. Asked by Air Force Chief

articles about aviation topics and 50 books, the

of Staff Gen. John D. Ryan in 1972 to

because of his flamboyant nature.

the same elegance that he used in leading

investigate why the Air Force kill ratio had plummeted late in the Vietnam War, Olds came back with a blistering report that impugned USAF’s contemporary training.

of which is Soaring to Glory. His most recent article for Air Force Magazine, “A Study in Stripes, appeared in the March issue.

the 8th TFW.

He offered to accept a reduction in rank

Unfortunately, prior

to

the Vietnam War,

he was never able to impose his ideas with

First and foremost, Olds wanted to kill

MiGs, but the North Vietnamese were

to

colonel so that he could go back and

personally inculcate the necessary fighting

most recent

”

m

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HE AOG BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONTINUED THEIR LONG TERM SUPPORT

FOR THE GRADUATE DEPENDENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2008-2009, ALLOCATING $20,000 FOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS. CHILDREN OF GRADUATE MEMBERS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR AND RF.rF.TVF.

BETWEEN $500 AND $2000.

19 GRADUATE DEPENDENT

One hundred and ten applications were received by a volunteer

committee for review and rank. The committee, consisting of Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steven A. Simon, ’77, Mrs Lisa M. Mazur, ’85,

ARSHTPS AWAR FIFTY CjvtOv/IjZIIVJOII J ilWiiiVL/J-/Iy

By Steve Knight

and Mr. Michael G. Lipinski, ’93, spent hours reflecting over the

application packages. Scores were consolidated and those applicants with highest total points were awarded scholarships.

After careful consideration, 19 young men and women were

selected to receive a scholarship. The winners are listed in alphabetical order along with the amount of their scholarship award.

Four are previous award winners. The number of times they have

previously received a scholarship is indicated by the number of asterisks following their name.

The AOG congratulates all GDS applicants and winners on their records of academic achievement, community involvement

and exemplary service.

SHANNON K. ANTHONY ($1000) Ms. Anthony graduated third of 361 in her class at Liberty High

School in Colorado Springs, Colo. She is a Girl Scout, President of the Environmental Club, Secretary for the National Honor Society

and Science National Honor Society and also serves as treasurer for Science NHS. Shannon will attend Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, Colo., majoring in Chemical

Engineering.

KIMBER N. BOUGAN ($1000) Miss Bougan graduated in the top 4 percent of a

very competitive class of 323 from Rutherford High School, in Panama City,

Fla. Kimber was a member of the High School’s International

Baccalaureate program. Kimber plans to pursue a pre-medicine

degree in Biology, with a minor in Psychology at the University of Florida. Her ambitions include attending a University such as Johns Hopkins or Yale Medical School.

LINDSAY E. CHATFIELD ($1,000) Miss Chatfield graduated from Mount de Sales

Academy, Macon,

Ga., with a 4.0 GPA, where she completed five A.P. courses and four Honor courses. Miss Chatfield will be attending Vanderbilt

University this fall in the College of Arts and Science.

SEAN M. COLLINS ($1,000) Mr. Collins completed the fall semester as a freshman at the Univer-

sity of Michigan with a 3.96 GPA. He is officially dual enrolled as a piano performance major and as an undeclared cellular/molecular biology major, pursuing both a B. Mus and B.S. degrees. For biology, he will develop an advanced theoretical and applied understanding of contemporary study in cellular/molecular

biology.

ERIN M. DALE ($1,000) Miss Dale completed the fall semester at the

University of Virginia with a 3.489 GPA. She was the number one graduate of the Class of 2007 from Forest Park High School, Woodbridge, Va. She plans to declare a double major in Biology and Engineering Science, along with a minor in Biomedical Engineering.

ELIZABETH W. HERLONG ($1,000) Miss Herlong attended Collerville High School, in Collerville, Tenn. She ranked 11 th in a graduating class of 474. Her GPA was

straight 4.0 throughout High School. She completed 8 Honor Courses and 5 A.P. Courses. Betsy will be attending Wesleyan College, pursuing a double major in English literature and French with aspirations of someday becoming an author. a

Top to faottomrGary Howe ’69, Elizabeth W. Herlong, David Herlong, 75, Elizabeth Herlong; Gary Howe,

SHELBY L. HIXON ($1,000)

Shannon Anthony, James F. Anthony, 78; Maj. Gen.

Miss Hixon graduated from Etowah High School in Woodstock,

Scott Hammond, 75, Lindsay Chatfield, Lt. Col,

Ga. She will attend the University of Alabama, where she has

Kimberly Chatfield, ’83,; Thomas Solomon, ’69,

received the Presidential Scholarship and has been admitted to the

Nicholas Myers, Lynda Myers, ’87

C

SE

27

University Honors Program. Shelby plans to major in pre-med,

EMILY R. SANTEE ($1,000) *

for her ultimate goal is to be a plastic surgeon.

Miss Santee completed her sophomore year at the University of

University of Oklahoma this fall.

Washington with a cumulative 3.59 GPA in chemical engineering.

She graduated fourth in her class of 321 students from Liberty High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This summer, Emily was hired by Floyd/Snider engineering firm as an undergraduate intern where she received nothing but glowing praise for her combination of skills and her ability for clear and concise communication.

ALEXANDER T. KNOBLOCK ($1,000)

CHRISTOPHER B. SIMPSON ($1,000)

Mr. Knoblock stands first in his graduating class at Worthington

Mr. Simpson completed his sophomore year at Georgia Tech with a

Kilbourne High School, in Columbus, OH. Alex is a scholar

3.91 GPA. He continues to play in the marching, pep and concert

athlete and an Ohio Capital Conference scholar athlete. He has

bands. He is also a member of the Georgia Tech Fencing Team and

traveled to eleven countries and plans to pursue a degree in lin-

an active

guistics, and hopes to one day join the ranks of the Peace Corps.

Additionally he plans to pursue professional degrees and hopefully become a specialist in a diplomatic field.

and Kappa Kappa Psi (National Honorary Band Service Fraternity).

ANNE F. KORNAHRENS ($ 1,000)

MIRANDA R. TSUKAMOTO ($1,500)

Miss Kornahrens is a freshman at Boston College. She graduated in

Miss Tsukamoto is a junior at the University of Florida with a

the top 2 percent of her class of nearly 800 students from Wayzata

3.98 GPA. She graduated fourth in a class of 738 students from

High School, in Plymouth, Minn. At Boston College, Anne interviewed and was selected for a place in their Presidential Scholars Program. She is now considering medical school and possibly medical research. In her spare time Anne enjoys swimming and diving and spends many hours volunteering in her new community.

Olympia High School in Orlando, Fla. Miranda is in the University of Florida Honors Program, a founding member and former Treasurer of The National Society of Leadership and Success and a Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society member. She plans to attend medical school at the University of Florida and wants to specialize in the field of Dermatology.

MR. PETER J. JONES II ($1,000) Mr. Jones graduated from United World College of Costa

Rica. This is a two year International Baccalaureate program

designed for high school juniors and seniors. He will attend the

**

member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers

He is pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering and is consider-

ing a career in ship-building and naval architecture after college. ***

NICHOLAS J. MYERS ($1,000) Mr. Myers graduated from Madison High School in San Anto-

nio, TX, ranking 3

rd

in a graduating class of 680. He is passion-

ate about both space and

chemistry and he dreams of someday working for NASA as a chemist and perhaps becoming a mission specialist. To achieve his goals he will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

AUBREY WADMAN-GOETSCH ($1,000) Miss Wadman-Goetsch is in the top 3 percent of her class of 431

students at Wichita High School East in Wichita, Kan. Aubrey

qualified as a National Merit semi-finalist and is in both the National Merit Society and French National Honor Society. She may major in Biochemistry but she also has interest in Chemical Engineering, Marine Biology and Psychology.

SETH M. RAMEY ($ 1,000) Mr. Ramey stands first in a graduating class of 306 at Denton

KAYLEY A. WOLF ($ 1000)

High School, Denton, TX. Seth has been accepted to Southern Methodist University and plans to major in Business and Broad-

Miss Wolf attended Wyoming High School, in Wyoming, OH.

casting. Sports are his passion and his “dream” would be a position in sports management, and eventually working for a professional sports team such as the Dallas Cowboys.

Kayley ranked in the top 5 percent of her graduating class. She is in the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society and was one of two nominated in music performance for Overture Awards, a city wide arts competition. She will attend Brandeis

University where she will double major. One half of that degree CREIGH A. RICHERT ($1,500 Buschman Award)

will be in violin performance; she is undecided on the other half.

Mr. Richert completed all four years of high school with a 4.0

Areas such as International Studies, International Business and

GPA and was the number one graduate at Freedom High School,

Biomedical Engineering are her other interests.

9

South Riding, Va. Creigh has been accepted to the University of Oklahoma and plans to major in Engineering.

JANE A. RIVAS ($1,000)

*

Miss Rivas graduated as the top student in a graduating class of

908, from Lyons Township High School, in Western Springs, Ill. She will attend the University of Illinois and pursue a degree in Art History, and a minor in Chemistry from their College of

Liberal Arts and Sciences.

To read more about the GDS recipients, please visit: www.usafa.org

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Any one of them has that chance with help from graduates like you.

LG3VG 3 Legacy, include the Association of Graduates in yOUT will or estate planning,

Association of Graduates UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

For more information visit our Web site at or contact Jeff Mielke,

www.usafa.org, click on “Giving” and then “Planned Giving,

’80, CSPG, atjeff.mielke@aogusafa.org or (719) 472-0300.

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USAFA Endowment, Inc. A Charitable Foundation Supporting the United States Air Force Academy

BOARD Gl : [BiaECBTOSBS

A. Bart Holaday '65

Chairman

Terrance M. Drabant '65 Vice Chairman

The USAFA Endowment is a charitable foundation providing financial support to the Air Force

Academy. The organization was formed in July 2007 and was granted tax-exempt status as an IRS-designated 501 (c)(3) public charity in March 2008. In its first year of operation, the organization has raised over $ 10 million in support of the Air Force Academy and the ongoing mission of the Endowment.

William E. Wecker '63 Treasurer

The founders of the USAFA Endowment chose to establish a new type of foundation to William W. Maywhort '68 Secretary

John M. Fox '63 Timothy J. Fyda’79

enhance the graduate community’s ability to raise, distribute and steward funds in support of the mission of the Air Force Academy. In doing so, the founders have chosen to memorialize several

unique “founding principles” into the organizational bylaws to further encourage financial participation for the benefit of the Academy. They are:

Max F. James '64

No Fees

Paul G. Kaminski ’64

Stewardship in Perpetuity

Jack N. Kucera 78

Full Transparency

Paul S. Madera 78

Positive and Supportive Approach

Richard D. McConn '66

These principles create an organization in which donors can feel completely confident that their Gilbert D. Mook '67

investments will support the purposes for which they were given. Equally important, donors are

Harry J. Pearce '64

assured that their gifts will be carefully and consistently stewarded, as the bylaws require, without

Terrence L. Petrzelka 70

fear of future financial or organizational changes. Ultimately, the unique structure of the USAFA

Endowment offers donors the confidence they require to give generously to their Academy and Charles E. Phillips, Jr. '81

its needs.

Gen (ret.) Michael E. Ryan '65

Richard T Schlosberg III '65

Visit our website at

USAFA Endowment, Inc.

William H. Simpson '63

If you have any questions, please contact our office F. Keith Withycombe '66 Hon. Michael W. Wynne '66 (USMA)

in Colorado Springs and speak with Mark Hille ’97,

Vice President of Major Gifts, at (719) 268-6037.

A

CHARITABLE

THE

UNITED

FOUNDATION

STATES

AIR

SUPPORTING

FORCE

Gen (ret.) Ronald W. Yates '60

1975 Research Parkway, Suite 300, Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Tel: (719) 268-6037 -

-

Fax: (719) 268-0957

-

www.usafaendowment.org

ACADEMY

November 20-21, 2008 San Antonio, TX

What is SACC? The SACC is the Service Academy Career Conference supported by the Associations of Graduates from the U.S. Air Force

Academy and the U.S. Military Academy, and Alumni Associations from the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Previous conferences have been attended by hundreds of companies and thousands of alumni. Go to www.sacc-jobfair.com for a list of companies attending, the complete schedule and the online registration form.

Where will the SACC be held?

The next SACC will be held at The Westin Riverwalk, 420 W. Market St., San Antonio, TX. Call (210) 224-6500 for reservations and ask for the SACC rate.

SACC Schedule of Events

Thursday, November 20 Interview Prep Seminar

6:30 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

Friday, November 21 Registration

9:00 a.m.

4:00 pm

SACC

9:00 a.m.

12:15 p.m

Lunch

12:15 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

SACC

1:30 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 22 Interviews only if directly scheduled between company recruiters and candidates; Companies will contact you directly regarding any on-site interviews during the SACC. Registration The SACC Candidate registration fee is $35. To register, submit a one-page resume (for recruiter's book) and

pay online at

www.sacc-jobfair.com. This limited resume is designed to give the recruiters an indication of your capabilities. It is NOT the resume you should bring to hand out to the recruiters at the conference. Registration deadline for inclusion in the recruiter's book is November 7, 2008.

Next Scheduled SACC

Savannah Ga., February 26-27, 2009 For more information, contact Wayne Taylor at (719) 472-0300 or go online at

www.sacc-jobfair.com.

Once Upon a Time

•

•

•

PIGGYBACK HERO

Fie was 81, and had been

Capt. Glenn Rojohn, of the 8th Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group, was flying his B-17G Flying Fortress bomber on a raid over Hamburg. His formation had braved heavy flak to drop their bombs, then turned 180 degrees to head out over the North Sea. They had finally turned northwest, headed back to England, when they were jumped by

in the air conditioning

German fighters at 22,000 feet. The Mess-

and plumbing business in nearby McKees-

erschmitt Me-109s pressed their attack so

port. If you had seen him on the street he would probably have looked to you like so

closely that Capt. Rojohn could see the faces of the German pilots. He and other pilots fought to remain in formation so they could

omorrow

they will lay

the remains of Glenn

Rojohn to rest in the Peace Lutheran Cem-

etery in the little town of Greenock, Pa., just

southeast of Pittsburgh.

many other graying, bespectacled old World War II veterans whose names appear so often now on

obituary pages.

But like so many of them, though he

seldom talked about it, he could have told you one hell of a story. He won the Air

Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart all in one fell swoop in the skies over Germany on December 31,

1944. Fell swoop indeed.

use

each other’s guns to defend the group.

Rojohn saw a B-17 ahead of him burst into flames and slide sickeningly toward the earth. He gunned his ship forward to fill in the gap. He felt a huge impact. The big bomber shuddered, felt suddenly very heavy and began losing altitude. Rojohn grasped almost immediately that he had collided with another plane.

By Ralph Kenney Bennett

A B-17 below him, piloted by Lt. Wil-

liam G. McNab, had slammed the top of its fuselage into the bottom of Rojohn’s.

The top turret gun of McNab’s plane was now

locked in the belly of Rojohn’s plane

and the ball turret in the belly of Rojohn’s had smashed through the top of McNab’s.

The two bombers were almost perfectly

aligned-the tail of the lower plane was slightly to the left of Rojohn’s tailpiece.

They were stuck together, as a crewman later recalled, ‘like mating dragon flies.’ Three of the engines on the bottom

plane were still running, as were all four of Rojohn’s. The fourth engine on the lower bomber was on fire and the flames were

spreading to the rest of the aircraft. The two were losing altitude quickly. Rojohn tried several times to gun his engines and break free of the other plane.

The two were inextricably locked together.

Fearing a fire, Rojohn cut his engines

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and rang the bailout bell. For his crew to

was

have any chance of parachuting, he had to

members of Rojohns plane tried frantically

keep the plane under control somehow. The ball turret, hanging below the belly of the B-17, was considered by many to be a death trap—the worst station on the bomber. In this case, both ball turrets figured in a swift

to crank Russo s turret around so he could

and terrible drama of life and death. Staff

Sgt. Edward L. Woodall Jr., in the ball turret of the lower bomber had felt the impact of the collision above him and saw shards of

metal drop past him. Worse, he realized both

electrical and hydraulic power was gone. Re-

membering escape drills, he grabbed the handcrank, released the clutch and cranked the turret and its guns until they were

straight down, then turned and climbed out the back of the turret up into the fuselage.

Once inside the plane s belly Woodall saw a chilling sight, the ball turret of the other bomber protruding through the top of the fuselage. In that turret, hopelessly trapped,

Staff Sgt. Joseph Russo. Several crew

escape, but, jammed into the fuselage of the lower plane, it would not budge. Perhaps unaware

that his voice was going out over

the intercom of his plane, Sgt. Russo began

reciting his Hail Marys.

Up in the cockpit, Capt. Rojohn and his co-pilot 2nd Lt. William G. Leek Jr., had propped their feet against the instrument panel so they could pull back on their controls with all their strength, trying to prevent their plane from going into a spinning dive that would prevent the crew from jumping out.

Capt. Rojohn motioned left and the two managed to wheel the huge, collisionborn hybrid of a plane back toward the

*!

German coast. Leek felt like he was intrud-

ing on Sgt. Russo as his prayers crackled over the radio, so he pulled off his flying helmet with its earphones. t>

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Rojohn, immediately grasping that the crew could not exit from the bottom of his plane, ordered his top turret gunner and his radio operator, Tech

Sgts. Orville Elkin and Edward G. Neuhaus to make their way to the back of the fuselage and out the waist door on the left behind the wing.

Then he got his navigator, 2nd Lt. Robert Washington, and his bombardier, Sgt. James Shirley to follow them. As Rojohn and Leek somehow held the plane steady, these four men, as well as waist gunner, Sgt. Roy Little, and tail gunner, Staff Sgt. Francis Chase, were able to bail out.

Now the plane locked below them was aflame.

Fire poured over Rojohn’s left wing. He could feel

the heat from the plane below and hear the sound of 50 cal. machinegun ammunition ‘cooking off’ in the flames. Capt. Rojohn ordered Lt. Leek to

bail out. Leek knew that without him helping

tokeep the controls back, the plane would drop in a flaming spiral and the centrifugal force would prevent Rojohn from bailing. He refused the order.

in his uniform pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He placed it in

Meanwhile, German soldiers and civilians on

and annoyed. He grabbed the cigarette out of Leak’s mouth and

the ground that afternoon looked up in wonder

...

Some of them thought they were seeing a new

Allied secret weapon—a strange eight-engined double bomber. But anti-aircraft gunners on the North Sea coastal island of Wangerooge had seen

German soldier pointing a rifle at him. The soldier looked scared

pointed down to the gasoline pouring out over the wing from a ruptured fuel tank.

Two of the six men who parachuted from Rojohn’s plane did not survive the jump. But the other four and, amazingly, four men from the other bomber, including ball turret gunner Woodall, survived.

the collision. A German battery captain wrote in

All were taken prisoners.

his logbook at 12:47 p.m.: ‘Two fortresses collided

Several of them were interrogated at length by the Germans until

in a formation in the NE. The planes flew hooked

they were satisfied that what had crashed was not a new American

together and flew 20 miles south. The two planes were unable to fight anymore. The crash could be awaited so I stopped the firing at these two planes.’

Suspended in his parachute in the cold December sky, Bob Washington watched with deadly fascination as the mated bombers, trailing black smoke,

secret weapon.

fell to earth about three miles away, their downward

Rojohn, typically, didn’t talk much about his Distinguished Flying Cross. Of Leek, he said, “in all fairness to my co-pilot, he’s the reason I’m alive today.” Like so many veterans, Rojohn got unsentimentally back to life after the war, marrying and raising a son and daughter. For many years, though, he tried to link back up with Leek, going through government records to try to track him

trip ending in an ugly boiling blossom of fire.

down. It took him 40 years, but in 1986, he found the number of

In the cockpit, Rojohn and Leek held grimly to the

controls, trying to ride a falling rock. Leek tersely recalled, ‘The ground came up faster and faster. Praying was allowed. We gave it one last

34

his mouth and was about to light it. Then he noticed a young

Leeks’ mother, in Washington State. Yes, her son Bill was visiting from California. Would Rojohn like to speak with him?

Some things are better left unsaid.

One can imagine that first conversation between the two men who

effort and slammed into the ground.’ The McNab

had shared that wild ride in the cockpit of a B-17. A year later, the two

plane on the bottom exploded, vaulting the other B-17 upward and forward. It slammed back to the ground, sliding along until its left wing slammed through a wooden building and the smoldering mess came to a stop. Rojohn and Leek were still seated in their cockpit. The nose of the plane was relatively intact, but everything from the B-l 7’s massive wings back was destroyed.

They looked at each other incredulously.

Neither was badly injured.

Movies have nothing on reality. Still perhaps in shock, Leek crawled out through a huge hole behind the cockpit, felt for the familiar pack

were

re-united at a reunion of the 100th Bomb Group in Long Beach,

Calif. Bill Leek died the following year. Glenn Rojohn was the last survivor of the remarkable piggyback flight. He was like thousands upon

thousands of men, soda jerks and lumberjacks, teachers and dentists, students and lawyers, service station attendants and store clerks, and farm boys, who in the prime of their lives went to war.

Let us be thankful for such men.

Originally published in TCSDaily

CHECKPOINTS, SEPTEMBER 2008

granite commemorative paver will be permanently placed near the entrance way at Doolittle Hall. For more information, contact The Office of Annual Giving at (719) 472-030C x 6"

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Double your gift for free-make the match!

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The Association of Graduates Matching Gift Program Did you know you might be able to double or triple your gift for FREE? Thousands of companies match their employees’ charitable contributions—forfi'ee. Matching gifts play a key role in helping your Association of Graduates fund graduate, cadet

and heritage programs at the Academy, and every dollar truly affects the day-to-day lives of more than 4,000 cadets.

Please ask if your employer has a matching gift program today!

For more information, visit us online at www.

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BILLBOARD TOP 40 ARTIST PERFORMS FOR CLASS OF 2008 ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY LEWIS CARLYLE The great Chinese philosopher Confucius once wrote, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This truth could not be more evident than in the life and one

lyric of rising singer-songwriter Bettina, who is

of the latest editions to this country’s long line of pop culture icons. t>

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Charles Bush ’63, Bettina has been performing since the tender age of 3, when she began singing to her father’s Motown records in the family living room. Since then, she has served as the voice

talent for some of the most memorable cartoon characters in

history, including the beloved Rainbow Bright. These days she divides her time between a busy touring schedule to benefit March of Dimes, winning the American Idol Underground competition, and sending her hit single “She Is” to number 4 on the Billboard Top 40. And did we mention she performed for over 1000 cadets at this year’s graduation?

great people. There’s something about the way it felt, you just can’t help but take it seriously. You’d better walk straight and tall

when you’re here.”

If walking straight and tall means receiving an ovation from over

1000 screaming cadets, then Bettina certainly lived up to

the challenge during her concert. Performing for the graduation

festival on the terrazzo as the sun dropped over the Front Range, the singer won the hearts of the senior class with a fusion of country, rock and soul. In an industry where pop stars are spoon fed their latest hits by teams of professional writers, Bettina is a rare breed, penning the majority of her own music. “I grew up in

kind of a bipolar musical atmosphere,” says the songwriter. “My

“Being able to sing songs that youVe written to a live audience with a killer

band is just phenomenal; there’s no feeling like it.”

always listened to a lot of Dolly Parton and the Judds, and some really cool country, while my dad was hard core Motown.

He loved Diana Ross and the Supremes. And what was great mom

about that for me was that some of the best songwriting ever to come out

Motown writers. Growing up hearing those things really influ-

enced me as a songwriter.”

This concert was an especially proud moment for the pop star,

given her father’s association with the Air Force. “My dad raised me

with a work ethic which has served me incredibly well,” recalls

Bettina. “He got the basis of this from the Academy. It’s very

obvious in the way my dad conducts himself. Bringing morality into your business and making sure that your values are in the

right place is a direct reflection of his education; I feel that he has instilled a lot of that in me, and I hope to live up to the level of honor that he does. I’m really, really proud to have the chance to visit the place where he was shaped as a man and to be able to perform there. It’s such an exciting project!”

Bettina was equally excited about reflecting on her first impressions of the Air Force Academy during her visit in April 2008. “I was so in awe of the magnitude of it,” she recalls, “just the way it looks, the stature of it architecturally made such an impact on me; I was able to understand how the Academy turns out such

of the United States was from these old bluegrass and

For many of us, the career is an essential part of life. Between

writing songs, performing live, recording her latest album, and providing voice talent for commercials (you may recognize her from the McDonald’s theme, “I’m Lovin it”), it’s hard to focus on

single career element, which for this multi-tasker, is a welcome challenge. All the same, one has to ask: is there a favorite? “Good gosh!” laughs Bettina, “that’s so hard! My favorite is always what I’m doing in the moment! I am a very live within the moment kind of person. And right now— focusing on the new music that I’ve written, and being on tour and interacting with these audiences—that, for me is what it’s all about. Being able to sing songs that you’ve written to a live audience with a killer band is just phenomenal; there’s no feeling like it. There’s nothing like waking up every day and knowing that I get to do this for a living. It’s such a privilege and such an honor knowing that people want to hear my music. You just can’t say thank you enough!” t> a

Before saying farewell to the Academy, Bettina was kind

enough to leave some words of wisdom with this year’s graduating class. “Trust your instincts,” she implored adamantly. “And trust your moral compass. Just believe in yourself.”

Wise advice that is sure to inspire new horizons. We feel

confident that this rising star would agree with the immortal words of Confucius when he wrote, “Where-so-ever you go, go with all your heart.”

Good luck Bettina. And good luck class of 2008. We ll be watching.

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Northwestern Preparatory School Located in Southern California Post High School Service Academy Preparation Exclusively

Appointments to the U.S. Air Force Academy and other Service Academies have been received by over 90 percent of our students.

4"

SAT/ACT Enhancement

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Candidate Fitness Assessment Improvement

“Northwestern Prep provided me with an academic foundation that raised my SAT scores by 200 points, as well as an ability to

focus on the essential preparation to succeed at the Academy.

As a result of the self-confidence I gained there, I became Outstanding Student in CST, Outstanding 2nd Class Cadet in 3rd Group, Team Captain of Women’s Fencing, and Outstanding Squadron Commander of the #7 ranked squadron of the wing! ’’

2002 USAFA Graduate

Suzanne Durbeck, Executive Director 1-800-367-8839 / www.northwesternprep.com / E-mail:

prepnwp@aol.com

{||

Four USAFA graduates win USA Hockey-Adult Over 50 National Championship Four USAFA Graduates have continued their

winning ways long after playing varsity ice hockey at the Academy Five members of the 2008 National Champions for USA Hockey’s Adult Over-50 Non-Checking competition held in Brandon FL April 24-27 were USAFA alumni. All five are previous Air Force officers.

Taking home the championship were Jeff McChesney (1979) with brother Scott McChesney (UMass), Joel Zejdlik (1982), Bob Sajevic (1980) and Joel’s brother, Todd Zejdlik (1975). The five players represented one fourth of the national championship team, known as Heartland, winning the fifth game in three days over last year’s champions. There were 24 teams in the tournament. This was the first year that any of the Academy players had skated in the tournament. ( Courtesy ofJeff McChesney, ’79)

Maj. Leo L. Cunningham of Carmel, NY, a five-year Air Force admissions liaison officer, was named the Outstanding Deputy Liaison Officer Director of the Nation at the Air Force Academy’s annual Liaison Officer Directors’ Awards Banquet held recently.

As one of more than 1,600 liaison officers worldwide and

deputy director of Southern New York, Cunningham orchestrated a successful Air Force Academy “New York Blitz” recruitment initiative during Thanksgiving 2006. The event included a performance by the Air Force Academy Band of the Rockies at Carnegie Hall and the Cadet Chorale at Hofstra University.

Cunningham is also actively involved in local activities, from appointee events to college fairs to grassroots recruiting events.

(Poughkeepsie Journal) Gen. Susan Desjardins, ’80, completes three successful years as Commandant of Cadets

Today the USAF announced the upcoming assignment of our Commandant of Cadets, Brigadier General Susan Desjardins. General Desjardins is approaching 3 years as our 23rd Commandant, a leadership position she has fulfilled so very well! Brig.

Gen. (sel.) Sam Cox will be our next in the long line of outstanding Commandants of Cadets. —Lt. Gen. Regni, 73 Gen. Desjardins will be the deputy Director, Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air mobility Command, at Scott Air Force Base.

Air Force players make name for themselves at the 2008 North America 4 Out of the 100 best rugby players from across the USA and Canada

42

CH

alums have made a name for themselves playing for the USA Hawks.

Capt. Travis Meidinger (’00), Capt. Josh Dean (’04) and 1 Lt. Brian Lemay (’05) have all been playing for the U.S. side in matches held throughout Oregon, British Columbia and Colorado throughout July, and will play the consolation finals on Saturday, August 2 at Glendale’s new rugby stadium, Infinity Park.

All forward players for the rugby squad, the 31 -year-old Meidinger, who is originally from Trinidad, Colo., is currently stationed at Buckley Air Force Base. Growing up in Juneau, Alaska, Josh Dean, at 26, is now at Enid AFB, Okla., and 25-year-old Brian Lemay grew up in st

White Bear Lake, Minn., but is now at Hanscom AFB in Mass.

Also working for the USA Hawks is manager Ken Holliday, who is a retired Lt. Colonel and also an ’88 graduate of the Academy. (Sara John. USA Rugby)

Air Force liaison officer honoree is Carmel Man

who have assembled in Glendale, Colo., this week for the

cross-border North America 4 Tournament, three Air Force Academy

popular

Academy awarded $285,000 for wave energy research The next source of alternative energy could come from ocean waves, and Air Force

Academy professors have been granted fund-

ing to dive into this research. The National Science Foundation has awarded the Academy’s Aeronautics Department $285,619 to support a cyclodial propeller wave energy converter research project to harness the ocean’s power.

The Aeronautics Department will partner with Oregon State University to use their wave tunnel for some of the experimental side of this research project. This project investigates the use of cycloidal propellers for energy extraction from unsteady flow fields created by both deep and shallow water waves.

“Wave power has the potential to provide a large portion of the world’s electric energy needs, if it can be tapped in an efficient way,” said Dr. Stefan Siegel, who will oversee this research project.

Cadets will also catch this wave, performing the basic research part of the Aeronautics 471 class during their senior year.

This project, which is funded through 2011, is part of a broader Air Force effort to address energy related issues and to support as

renewable alternative energies research.

Brigadier General Peter Moody passes away Brigadier General Peter R. Moody (Dept, of English 1958-1967) passed away at the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, NC. He was 91 and is survived by his wife Mary. Graveside services with full military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA at a later date.

During his tenure, Gen. Moody also served as the Academy’s first Vice Dean of the Faculty and chaired several ground-breaking committees. {Courtesy of the Deans Offce) S

C K P OIN T S, SEPTEMB ER 200 8

Annual gifts to the Air Force

Academy Fund at the Sabre Sociel level provide support to programs and cadet clubs that promote civic

development like thefFalcon Club.

This cadet club works closely in the ■Jr

local community

withjjig Brothers/

Big Sisters of America! '

:

■

The Secret Life of

.

Dumbsquat

by Don Hall, 76

I

MBS

_

a

m

i 1 m.

M

mm.

lie s

as our

hero and his roommates search for the

7 he three doolie

i>C

/ 4-^1

mat adventure had taken them

Waldo heard some moaning in the wind tunnel. A blast of cold air chilled the cadets. Undaunted, the doolies cautiously peered

inside. Deep inside the tunnel appeared an apparition, dressed in tattered and grease-smeared coveralls. The features of his face were hidden by shadows.

left onto the crude dirt road to the Valley, the cadets struggled to see past the illumination of the car’s headlights. The night- clad trees lined the road like sentries guarding an ominous secret. Sliding to a stop, the car

ended up just short of three bayonet dummies.

“Relatives of yours?” chortled the senior.

“Who goes there?” challenged the mysterious man.

Ignoring the project officer, the three freshmen piled out of the

“It is I, Dumbsquat Waldo F 762693K.”

vehicle and low crawled under some barbed wire. The sound of

“What squadron are you with?

hushed voices grew louder as Waldo squirmed into a nearby bush.

“CS-37.”

Three men crouched next to a small campfire. The flickering light

“Ah, you smacks are Smilers then,” acknowledged the

danced across the faces, revealing secret identities. Waldo recog-

ghostly figure.

Warren grinned—ah, smiled.

Regs ventured forward. “Who are you, sir?”

“I’m The Regular Crew Chief. And don’t call me ‘sir’—I worked for a living.”

Waldo stood in shock. “No one has ever seen the regular crew chief. We didn’t think you existed, kind of like Nino Baldachi or

early Recognition.”

The shadowy sergeant chuckled. “I’m as real as you are, Dumbsquat. If you want to locate the ‘large photograph’, you need to journey to Jack’s Valley. Ask for Jack.”

An icy wind roared down the tunnel and rolled the freshmen like

nized each man to be a member of the infamous Fight er Mafia.

“Okay, Jack, what do we do now that we’ve nabbed the Big Picture?”

The man named Jack flashed an evil grin.

“I’ll make MPC an offer it can’t refuse. Either UAV assignments go contract or the cadets never see the Big Picture again!” Jack patted the issue leather briefcase handcuffed to his left wrist.

To Waldo’s horror, appearing from nowhere, the senior stumbled into the covert operation. He was immediately captured by the rogue

officers. They tied the firstie up and prepared to interrogate him.

“Threaten him with a helicopter assignment, Jack!” hissed one of the henchmen.

tumbleweeds out of the Lab. The cadets picked themselves up and

The bound cadet flinched, but remained silent.

checked their gig lines. After giving each other a tuck, Waldo, Regs,

“No,” said Jack, “he’s been through SERE. Only one thing will

and Warren double-timed down the ramp to the Parade Field. Passing the Upper Lower Lot, they didn’t stop until reaching the Lower Lower Lot. There they met a firstie preparing to leave on weekend pass he

had earned by posting a current events bulletin board.

“You smacks need a ride somewhere?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Waldo.

“You don’t have to call me sir in the Lower Lower Lot. We’re all

Falcons here.”

break him

...

Nav School!”

“Anything but that!” sobbed the senior.

“Then spill the beans, mister!”

“I brought three doolies to the Valley ...”

“Why are they here?”

“I didn’t ask. Please let me go. I’ve got to pick up my date at Lo Hi.” “I think we’re doing him a favor, Boss!”

Maniacal laughs echoed in the darkness, driving a shiver up

“Yes, sir.”

Waldo’s spine. He knew it was time for extreme action in order

“Where to?

day. Backing away from the hideous scene, Waldo sprinted to a nearby latrine. Inside he uttered the magic words three point break fall and magically transformed into Colonel Waldo F. Dumbsquat, a man who could fly Soviet aircraft with his mind. Sprinting back to the fire, the incredibly fit officer distracted the gangsters with a blood-curdling cry of Lead, you’re on to save the

“Jack’s Valley,” chorused the doolies.

“Well, I always swore I’d never go back there, but if you can all get into my Porshe 914, I’ll drop you off at the Assault Course. ”

The firstie’s car spent most of the ride to the North Gate in first gear. Second gear was achieved when Waldo moved his nose. Turning

44

Lab.

C H E C K P OIN T S, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

firel As two of the men looked down at their trousers, the colonel applied boxing, judo, and unarmed combat skills to subdue them.

“Hold it right there, Dumbsquat! Any more PE moves and I burn it!”

Jack held the glossy 8x10 photo threateningly over the flames.

“What’s it going to be?”

Colonel Dumbsquat shocked everyone at the scene. “Go ahead, Jack. Burn it.”

A scary smile crossed Jack’s face. He slowly lowered the treasure into the fire. The colonel watched the photo curl up into a black ash, but made no move to save it.

“You’re headed to Leavenworth, Jack,” stated Colonel Dumbsquat.

“Sorry to disappoint, Colonel. The Big Picture is gone and so am

I! Until the next time we cross sabers ...”

At that moment a C-130 flew over and skyhooked Jack out of

Your Association of Graduates is always looking

for ways to improve service while saving time and

money. The AOG is sending electronic receipts for all credit card donations. Sending these receipts

electronically will save the AOG a great deal of time and money !

If you made a donation to the AOG by credit card you should find your receipt in your e-mail account. If your e-mail account is blocking e-mail

the story. His allies had already disappeared into the night. The

from the AOG or the AOG does not have an

colonel leaped behind a log and morphed back into C/4C Waldo

e-mail address you will be sent a receipt by mail.

F. Dumbsquat. The puny freshman joined his classmates and the

Please take a few moments to ensure the AOG

firstie by the fire.

has your most current e-mail address by going

a

■

“It’s gone, Waldo,” Regs said sadly as he poked the embers with

to www.usafa.org, logging in and then select-

stick.

ing “Update My Profile” on the left side of the m screen. It is also important to ensure “aogusafa. org” is not included in your spam filters. If you

Waldo smiled.

“That was a digitally enhanced copy Jack stole and burned. The

Academy

never

has had the Big Picture!”

The senior nodded.

“Well, where is it?” asked a confused Warren Heels.

m

mm ®iiml mm

V.

•

'qRL

WMM&

need assistance with your donation or electronic

receipt please contact Sandy Luckhurst at sandy. luckhurst@aogusafa.org or call 719-472-0300.

“It’s safe in a vault under Mount Rushmore—next to the Real Air Force!”

89

What has MOAA done for me lately?

—

“Last month, MOAA led a campaign to pass the

historic new Gl Bill for the 21 I

st

century that

pays for college, helps with room and board, and allows transfer to spouses and children.

Yesterday, they saved me 20% on a Dell® laptop.”

Department of History Sets “History of USAFA” as Military Symposium Theme

BY MAJOR GRANT WELLER

he Department of His-

T

tory (DFH) has selected the history of the Air Force

Academy as the theme for the 22nd Military History Symposium (MHS), scheduled for September 28-30, 2009. The MHS series, dating back to the 1960s, is one of the longest running and most prestigious gatherings of military historians in the world.

The MHSs bring together top mili-

will speak on General Hubert R. Harmon

the most useful both to historians and to

DFH has issued a worldwide call for

leaders and decision makers who “think in time,” considering the role of history

papers, inviting scholars, students, and professionals to contribute their analysis

in shaping the environment in which they

of some aspect of USAFA history, ranging

operate. The results of the 22nd MHS will be available to grads, USAFA leaders, and

from the role of faculty and military staff

the general public through the published

tary historians, current and past USAFA

proceedings, expected in 2010.

One of the highlights of any MHS is

faculty members, and, most importantly,

the Harmon Memorial Lecture (HML).

current

cadets, to consider a theme in

This lecture series, named in honor of

military history. Past symposia have cov-

the Academy’s first superintendent and

ered topics such as the Vietnam War, Rus-

recognizing his lifelong love of military history, has drawn some of the biggest names in military history over its fifty year

sian and Soviet military history, and the

history of flight. The most recent MHS, held in 2006, studied the history of military spacepower. The book resulting from that symposium, entitled Harnessing the Heavens: National Defense through Space, has garnered wide praise, including the endorsement of General Kevin P. Chilton,

USAF, Commander, USSTRATCOM, USAFA 76.

Harmon Meilinger is currently penning.

gender integration, athletics, leadership and cadet life. Accepted submissions will be organized into panels of three papers on a common theme. The panels will be presented during the 22nd MHS on the Academy grounds. The response thus far has been gratifying, but there is still room for more papers and panelists. Guidelines to

for submission can be obtained from Pro-

The list of past lecturers is a virtual

“who’s who” of military historians, includ-

went@usafa.edu or calling 719-333-3230.

run.

ing: T. Harry Williams, the noted Civil

DFH hopes to involve Association

War historian; Martin Blumenson, the

of Graduate members throughout the

biographer of General George S. Patton; R. J. Overy of King’s College, London; Peter Paret, a leading expert on Carl von

symposium. Some grads have already submitted paper proposals, and more are expected. Those not interested in formally presenting papers will be welcome to attend the three-day event. Contact Symposium Director Major Grant Weller at grant.weller@usafa.edu or 719-333-

This MHS will be the first scholarly historical study of the Academy’s first half-

author of the classic War in the Modern

century. The purpose of the symposium will be to bring critical historical analysis

World; and, most recently, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Clodfelter, USAF, (Ret.), Ph.D., USAFA 77. For the 22nd MHS,

Academy.

In this sense, “critical” means not “negative” but rather “thoughtful.” Historians use the term critical history to describe history that considers its topic without excessive nostalgia or bitterness—profes

himself, drawing from the biography of

gram Committee Chair Major J.D. Went, USAFA ’97, by e-mailing him at james.

Clausewitz; Michael Howard, retired from both Oxford and Yale; Theodore Ropp,

to bear on the institution of the

46

sionally rather than emotionally. Critical history meets the highest standards of historical scholarship, and is therefore

USAFA will welcome back Colonel Philip S. Meilinger, USAF (Ret.), Ph.D., a

former DFH faculty member and USAFA

70. Meilinger, a noted airpower scholar with many books and articles to his credit,

3230 for information about attending.

Further, AOG members will be a vital resource

for those historians who are

researching their papers. Those who might be willing to be interviewed about their experiences at USAFA should also contact

Major Weller. H

Cadets learn mission through Air Force Operation

By Staff Sgt. Eric Burks

62 nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

ighteen U.S. Air Force Academy cadets visited McChord Air Force Base June 13 to experience operations and day-to-day experiences in the Air Force.

The cadets visited McChord AFB during the first phase of Air Force, a career-broadening program, and then

Operation

flew on board a C-17 Globemaster III to Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean during the flight, Cadet 3rd Class Olsowski stood in the cockpit and looked out across the vast

Carly

for the Air Force after graduaexpanse of blue. With a vision to fly jets tion, she spoke with Lt. Col. Douglas Patterson and Maj. Rob Luzader, C-17 pilots from the 313th Airlift Squadron.

“My dream aircraft was the A-10 (Thunderbolt II), but since I have been at McChord, I have begun to think that flying heavies is the sort of

lifestyle that I would like to have,” Cadet Olsowski said.

If one day in the future she finds herself behind the controls of a McChord AFB C-17, she would be following in the footsteps of Colonel Patterson, who graduated from the Academy in 1989. Laughter filled the cockpit when Cadet Olsowski noted that she was born the same year.

The mission served several purposes, said Capt. Ian Ostermiller, the 10th Airlift Squadron facilitator who accompanied the cadets.

“It’s a great location, so in a sense it’s an advertisement for the mobility mission,” he said. “You see a lot of the world, and Hawaii is a good way to get somebody’s attention.”

However, it’s more than just a day at the beach, the captain said.

“Local training sorties can’t capture the complexity involved in leaving home station and going overseas.”

“An off-station trainer that crosses the ocean is a great way to get cadets close to the mission in a controlled environment,” Captain Oster-

miller said. “They get to see all aspects, from working with the aerial come away port troops to interacting with the aircrew. Hopefully they from the experience with a smile on their face, but also with a better of all the pieces involved in getting from A to B,

Top: Cadet 3rd Class Carly Olsowski talks with Lt. Col. Douglas Patterson during a flight on board a C-17 Globe-

moving understanding especially when B is across the ocean.”

master III from Hickam Air Force Base. Bottom: Cadets

Cadet 3rd Class Daniel Venable said the off-station C-17 trainer showed him the real diversity and complexity of Air Force missions.

fly on board a C-17 Globemaster III as part of Operation Air Force, a career-broadening program. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Burks)

“Operation Air Force has really opened my eyes to many new career fields,” he said. “It has given me a really good perspective on how things work outside of cadet life at the Academy. Si ”

BOOK REVIEW

npi

J. nese _

A History of the Phillips Georgia Legion Infantry Battalion

by Richard M. Coffman and Kurt D. Graham.

Reviewed by Frederick V. Malmstrom, ’64

Visiting Scholar for Honor To Honor These Men is a rare insight into not only the

strategic actions but also the personal portraits of the men in a heretofore undocumented Georgia Confeder-

fighting unit. Most Civil War histories are written from the Union perspective. Not this one.

ate

Richard M. (“Buck”) Coffman is no stranger to us.

As the lone anthropologist on the USAFA faculty in

the 1970s, he later retired from the Air Force and then

turned his attention to teaching and writing history.

Kurt D. Graham is a retired IBM executive. Coffman is a

Civil War reenactor, and Graham is a lifelong fanatico,

they write with primary source authority. Coffmans great-great-grandfather Major John Fielding Milhollin was an officer in the Phillips Georgia Legion Calvary.

1

■

Note: Both of our great-grandfathers may have crossed paths briefly; my great-grandfather Pvt. Benjamin Cleenewerck, First Michigan Engineers & Mechanics, was part of Sherman’s army which destroyed Major Milhollin’s home and impoverished his wife 1

and six children.

RICHARD M. COFFMAN & KURT D.GRAHAM

The very word “Legion” implies something both ancient and Roman. During wartime 18 th Century Europe and the 19 th Century United States, it wasn’t uncommon for

well-heeled citizens with political clout to raise and fund their own volunteer armies and then offer their services to the sovereign. In fact, many Redcoat units which fought

against the American War of Independence were both privately funded and politically motivated entities. Today, such sponsorship would be as if H. Ross Perot were to fund and raise an army regiment and then name it “La Legion Perot.”

So, in early 1861, a politically inclined businessman and lawyer, one William M. Phillips, formed the Phillips Georgia Legion, composed of both an infantry and a cavalry battalion. He had also attempted to include the Macon Light Artillery Battalion into his legion, but his efforts were denied. Formed shortly after secession, The Phillips Georgia Legion fought in nearly every major engagement on the Eastern Front, beginning with Second Manassas (Bull Run), the slaughters of Fredericksburg, and continuing through to Gettysburg, the dreadful Wilderness Campaign, and their surrender at Appomattox.

I was surprised to find prior to reading this book how little had been written about the Phillips Georgia Legion. Despite its composition of the usual politicos, the legion fought competently, bravely, and continuously for nearly four years. It distinguished itself with valor, somehow surviving numerous hardships, diseases and deprivations. Although Coffman and Graham did not state it directly in their book, I noted how pitifully depleted and desperate the Phillips Georgia Legion Infantry was at Appomattox. At the surrender, only 93 men remained of the entire once-proud battalion.

Coffman and Graham have done their homework

nicely, obviously expending considerable effort in visiting battlefields and libraries, footnoting and reconstructing chronologically the battles and movements of the Phillips Georgia Legion Infantry Battalion. They have supplied the reader with plenty of maps and descriptions to complement their narrative.

What makes this a superb history is not just its ease of reading, but the interspersion of the many contemporary diary entries and letters from the front-line Confederate soldiers who detailed their duties complete with daily descriptions of the mussceeters [mosquitoes], rain, lack of shoes and clothing, and the filth. And, of course, there is

of these previously unpublished rare photos of enlisted men.

The second half of their book is devoted to the unit

including the hundreds of names and the official records of each of the men, including some sketches of their post-war lives. And it’s all nicely documented with paper trails for anyone who is into genealogy.

To make their history even better, Coffman and Graham rosters,

also interviewed many soldiers’ descendants, and their stories are

also recounted. The authors’ narrative flows in a style

worthy of Shelby Foote and Bruce Catton—only this time the history comes from the South.

For instance, their chapter on the hellish waste at Fredericksburg digs deeply into the four days of continuous bloody action by the Phillips Georgia Legion Infantry from the beginning to the truce. The legion had again emerged as a major player in another Confederate victory.

Decades beyond the war’s end, one Mary Mitton wrote to Coffman her recollections of her great-grandmother’s direct observations of the Appomattox surrender: “... As the news of the surrender spread, she asked to ...

see a

the soldiers of the C.S.A.. This was a V2 mile walk down

dirt lane to the dirt road. She recalled many things about

them

dirty, ragged, bloodied, unshaven, drooping shoulders. The description of the soldiers crying was foremost in her mind when she was in her nineties. This story stayed in my mind too, being born in 1939, because at the age I was when she was telling me this, it hadn’t occurred to me that ...

grown men cried.”

One other note: Although the Phillips Georgia Legion

consisted of both an infantry and a cavalry battalion, this book is limited to only the history of the infantry.

Richard Coffman is currently preparing a companion volume on the history of the Phillips Georgia Legion

Cavalry Battalion.

This book is written especially from the Confederate

viewpoint. You won’t find another history book like this one. I predict it will be in print for a long, long time. S

Coffman, Richard M. and Kurt D. Graham (2007). To Honor These Men. A History of the Phillips Georgia Legion

Battalion. Macon, GA: The Mercer University Press. ISBN13: 978-0-88146-06005. 495 Pages. $31.20.

their ever-present soldiers humor.

This book has plenty of photos and biosketches of the

officers and men. Although it was not uncommon for most

officers, both North and South, to have their portraits taken, individual photos of enlisted men are much more rare. Somehow, Coffman and Graham have included many

C H E C K P OIN T S, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

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mane uiympic team

participate in an education program of

expand our number one selling DESIGNER

Air Force Academy graduate Capt. Seth

roundtable discussions with leaders from

WHEY business.”

Kelsey, a 2003 graduate, and former

the private and public sectors and trips to

Denver resident Becca Ward will compete

examine government policy in action.

for the U.S. fencing team seeking gold at the Beijing Olympics next month.

Kelsey, a national title-winner and fourtime All-American, will compete in the mens epee competition. Ward, a current resident of Pordand, Ore., will be on the womens

saber team. The U.S. team is determined by

international rankings. (Denver Post)

U.S. Air Force World Class Athlete Program Capt. Kevin Eastler, ’99, led military athletes competing in the 2008 U.S.

in operations, leadership, brand building

Past Fellows include Air Force Assis-

and business growth at NEXT Proteins,”

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Frank

commented Tom Oliver, Chief Operating

tant Vice

Klotz, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former CNN president Tom

Officer for NEXT Proteins. “I look forward

Johnson and former NATO commander Gen. Wesley Clark.

Before joining the Thunderbirds in

bution partners, retail affiliates and manu-

2003, Malachowski flew the F-15E Strike Eagles, including combat time in Operation Deliberate Forge over Bosnia and

■c

I am delighted to utilize my aptitude

to

working with our internal teams, distri-

facturing suppliers to build on the current success of DESIGNER WHEY products in the competitive nutritional supplement category.” (Courtesy ofDon Williams, Williams Group Public Relations)

Operation Iraqi Freedom. In South Korea, the 1996 Air Force Academy graduate served as an air liaison officer with the

National Board of Directors, Boy

Army’s 2nd Infantry Division.

Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field by earning his second Olympic berth in the

with the demonstration squadron in 2006

to

20-kilometer race walk.

and 2007. (StaffReport: Air Force Times)

Scouts of America at its recent national

Malachowski flew as Thunderbird No. 3

Easder, 30, of Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., will be Team USAs only competitor in the mens 20K race walk in Beijing. He was the lone U.S. competitor to meet the Olym-

pic qualifying standard before toeing the start line in Eugene, where a relatively slow pace prevented others from making the team.

Eastler won the early-morning race in 1 hour, 27 minutes, 8 seconds. (FMWRC

Public Affairs EUGENE, Ore.)

©rations oon

the United States and overseas, elected the

70-person board, with Rosenberg among the

NEXT Proteins, the makers of number one

four newly elected directors. The National

selling DESIGNER WHEY protein products, today announced the hiring of food industry veteran Tom Oliver, ’69, as Chief Operating Officer. With an extensive track record in food based consumer packaged goods, Oliver will oversee all aspects of the company’s internal and external operations, brand philosophies and product launches.

Executive Board, a volunteer board of direc-

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of

Washington, D.C., to spend one year as a

Tom Oliver to our executive management

White House Fellow.

team,” said David Jenkins, Chief Executive

Maj. Nicole Malachowski is among 14

Officer and founder of NEXT Proteins.

people selected for the 2008-09 internships.

The White House Fellows Program, started in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson, offers experience working at the high-

“Tom brings a wealth of cutting edge food

government. Fellows

the National Executive Board of the Boy

meeting in San Diego. Over 500 delegates, representing Boy Scout councils from around

A Thunderbird pilot is heading to

est levels of the federal

Nathan Owen Rosenberg, ’74, was elected

product experience to NEXT Proteins. He has a stellar record in leading and growing companies which, coupled with this global experience, makes him the ideal leader to

tors made

up of top business leaders in the United States, leads the National Council

of the Boy Scouts of America. Rosenberg, who was involved in Scouting in his youth, has served on the board of directors for the

Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America since 1993 and currently holds the position of Vice Chair of Marketing. Additionally, Rosenberg serves on the Boys Scouts’ Western Region Executive Board and was a member of the National Advisory Council prior to being elected to the National Executive Board. Nathan Rosenberg is a founding partner of Insigniam Performance, a global management consulting firm. (Courtesy Insigniam Performance) Rl

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FROM among the 9,000 applications, 1,642

were

offered

appointments; there were 1,369 acceptances; at press time 1,357 had

in-processed.

Grade Point Average: 3.85

Average Combined SAT math and verbal: 1,290 Average ACT: 28-29 There are 47 prior enlisted members arriving between regular Air Force and Reservists. Seventeen percent were either high school class president

president. Sixty-two percent were in the academic honor society.

Ninety-five percent were athletic award winners. Thirty percent were in band/orchestra. Twenty-eight percent were Boy/Girl Scouts. Nine percent or vice

were Civil Air Patrol.

Thirteen percent were JROTC. Two hundred ninety-five are women, 21 percent of the overall class. Two hundred eighty-seven are minorities, 20 percent of the overall class. Sixteen international cadets represent Belize, Brunei, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Korea, Lithuania, Madagascar,

Peru, Poland, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Taiwan and Tunisia.

The appointees’ introduction to cadet life started Thursday with a full day of in-processing which included medical processing, haircuts, clothing and

equipment issue, and squadron and dormitory room assignments. It also marked the start of 38 days of Basic Cadet Training designed to prepare the basic cadet trainees for entry into the Cadet Wing.

Stats courtesy ofthe Academy Spirit.

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By Master Sgt. Dean J. Miller, Public Affairs ual responsibilities to represent those in the Long Blue

Line—past and present, and a mission to inspire future officers

of character are obligations of cadets and graduates alike;

but they are also attributes of weapon systems on display at USAFA. For one such display, retirement day arrives August 20, 2008.

Placed in front of Clune Arena since its dedication ceremony Dec.

9, 1971, the Minuteman III ICBM display has inspired thousands of cadets over the years, many of whom perform strategic missile operations in Americas missile fields today—each officer ready to execute a MMIII strategic launch if ordered by national command authorities.

USAFA’s MMIII, still in the nation’s official missile inventory and

Missile to be retired

after 37 years of

Academy service

subject to Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-I) monitoring, is being retired from permanent USAFA display. Based on a possibility of collapse related to internal corrosion combined with high winds common to the area, the veteran cold warrior is being retired as a safety precaution.

Lt. Gen. John Regni announced, “It is also a weapon system entrusted to 115 Academy Graduates deployed on strategic alert in our nation’s missile fields right now. However, with cadets, faculty and visitors working, walking and parking near our missile display, day and night, I can’t risk anyone’s safety when there is the slightest risk of collapse. Under advisement of experts from the National Museum of the Air Force and our Academy Memorial Board members, I’ve ordered the display retired.”

Detailed inspections of static display missiles at various locations by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB revealed numerous examples of internal corrosion. This was especially true on the Minuteman family of missiles where internal corrosion was concealed by the original special coatings and over-layers of paint.

“In the instance of the Academy display, it appears that once again significant concealed internal corrosion was discovered during inspections. Despite the best of conservation efforts, missiles were never intended to remain exposed to the elements for decades and therefore it is a prudent decision at the Academy to retire the missile from display,” said Terry Aitken, Senior Curator, National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio.

Once final preparations are made in late August, Academy experts and contractors will dissemble the Minuteman III. The bulk of the missile frame and shell will be disposed of as scrap metal through the

Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office. As disassembly proceeds, two hazardous materials known to be on the

Top: Missil dedication in 1971.

Bottom: C1C Rightmyer speaks at dedication.

display will be removed.

“Contractors will properly dispose of a fungicide-impregnated cork coating on the missile and a specialist from the National Museum of the United States Air Force will remove a 7.5 foot magnesium-thorium alloy component,” said Paul Martin, USAFA Museum Specialist. “Both materials require professional handling different from the routine disposal of scrap metal.”

•

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Matching mountains and fulfilling missions: One grad's assessment of USAFA's true value

Part II of II

By Mark Clodfelter, ’77 or some

F

of my classmates, maintaining the status

quo at the Academy equated to maintaining a

successful institution, and some contended that factors disrupting stability had an adverse impact on

USAFA’s ability to accomplish its mission. For

some one

of those grads, the admission of women was

such disruptive event, and 7 percent of my

classmates recommended removing women from the cadet

wing.

Conversely, another 3 percent of my classmates thought that women cadets should have been part of the wing but that they should have

been integrated into it better—women cadets in the Class of 1980

originally kept segregated on the top floors of Vandenberg Hall and placed in only the first twenty squadrons. My classmates further disagreed on the amount of cadet leadership opportunities made

were

1

available to them: 4 percent would have added more, and another 4 percent would have provided less. Another 4

percent would have placed more “down time” in the Academy’s schedule.

Yet making USAFA different—or

keeping it the same—provided no assurance that the Class of’77 would ultimately lead the Air Force as general officers. The USAFA experience often included the unex-

pected, and the same was true following graduation. When asked if they were surprised by any of their classmates making general, almost half of those completing the survey said yes, but several also couched their response: “Not that they couldn’t,” one wrote, while another added, “Almost all grads have the potential.” Others stated that they were more surprised by certain officers who did not become generals.

One grad remarked, “Most general officers were predictable, but 10-2 percent were in the category of ‘I never thought they would make it that far!”’ An unnamed classmate who had in fact made general put himself in that latter camp, stating that he was surprised to be wearing stars and felt that he was “a computer glitch in the system.”

Despite an inability to divine future generals, most of my classmates believed that the Academy experience prepared them well to serve as officers. Three out of four rated their Academy background superior to that provided by ROTC or OTS. In addition, 88 percent rated the quality of military training received at USAFA as either “superb” (45 percent) or “adequate” (43 percent) in terms of its preparation for active duty. One grad who cross-commissioned into the Army stated: “Although an Army Officer, I felt I was better prepared than my West Point peers. Officers there do many things that cadets handle at USAFA.” Another grad observed, “I learned how to prioritize, accomplish many things in a short time, and how to succeed The ...

years after completing the four-year ordeal the belief that we received

special boost on the path to success endured. Eighty-eight percent of my classmates described USAFA’s overall impact as “definitely positive,” while another 8 percent rated it as “slightly positive.” Only a

3 percent rated the impact of the USAFA experience as “a wash,” and

only one person out of the 121 completing the survey said that the Academy’s overall impact was negative. One graduate offered a pithy summary of USAFA’s value with this comment: “Surviving it gives me a great sense of achievement and a lot of confidence confronting future challenges—but it sucked 24/7.” Such sentiments appeared in responses to the question—“If you could live that part of your life over again, would you attend the Academy?”—and, indeed, those answers may offer the strongest testimony yet to USAFA’s lasting impact. More than four out of five of my classmates—81 percent—said that they would repeat the Academy experience, even with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight. Only 6 percent said that they would not, and the remaining 13 percent were uncertain. Many of those who would do it all over again, however, acknowledged the love-hate relationship that for them defined the institution. Here’s just one example, but it conveys its central point in unvarnished fashion: The worst day of my life was my first day at USAFA. The worst month of my life was my first month at USAFA. The worst year of my

best lesson I learned was to trust the mid-level and senior NCOs as

life was my first year at USAFA. The worst 4 years of my life were my

essential to success as an officer.” Another added: “Although I may

4 years at USAFA. But it got me where I wanted to go. I’m not sure

not have

how anyone could shlep through 4 years at the Academy without their

appreciated most of it at the time, in my old age I see the importance of most of what we went through. Perhaps it should have even

been much harder.”

final goal in view.

For all of us who “made it” to throw our hats in the air, the Acad-

While providing a grudging acknowledgment that some degree of

pain was a necessary part of the Academy experience, few of my classmates expressed a desire for more of it. For most, USAFA produced a love/hate relationship that sometimes emphasized both emotions

simultaneously. More than 90 percent of my classmates stated that they had returned to the Academy more than once since graduation, and 52 percent had returned more than five times. “The longer I live, the more proud I am of having graduated from there,” one classmate revealed, while another confided, “The longer it’s been since graduation the more I seem to be drawn back.” Yet 52 percent also stated

emy experience will likely resonate until our dying days. Given the intensity of that experience in many cases, it could hardly be otherwise.

Almost one in five of my classmates reported dreaming that they are back at USAFA as a cadet as often as once or twice a month; more

than 50 percent reported dreaming that they are back at the Academy at least once or twice a

year. Several classmates said that the dreams

occurred when they were stressed out or overworked, and many of the

dreams depicted stressful times at the Academy. Apparendy, the psyche

still remembers that USAFA wasn’t a piece of cake.

What, then, does this collection of data show? Well, for one thing it

that they do not wish to have visited USAFA any more than they have.

shows what a profound impact the Academy experience had on each

“I get an uneasy feeling in my gut whenever I see USAFA,” confessed

of our lives. It also shows that, despite the angst, the vast bulk of us

grad. “Then I calm down and can relax.” Another added, “I still feel vaguely uncomfortable walking across the terrazzo.” Yet another remarked: “I go to AFA football games when they are nearby and I’ll th go to the 30 reunion, but that’s enough.” A few classmates rationalized their reluctance to return as the result of a perceived failure to live up to the high standards that they deemed a hallmark of the institution and its graduates. One commented, “I would hate to have to explain all of the ridiculous things I’ve done with my time while others were in NASA or commanding officers.” Another offered this assessment: “Took a girlfriend there after 15 years away; felt very strange.

Did not feel like I belonged there anymore since my civilian life was nothing special...”

view that experience in a positive light—so much so that most of us

one

For many, if not most, of my classmates, the notion that we were

“special” by virtue of USAFA’s unique training experiences and distinctive education resonated. We all knew the Academy’s exhortation to “Bring me men to match my mountains,” a reference to the first line of the Samuel Walter Foss poem, “The Coming American,” and 30 2

would repeat the experience if we were somehow given the opportu-

nity to do so. It does not say that we all had a fun time here, and that we

all loved this place—far from it. Yet it does say that we thought

USAFA was essential to the way that we subsequently turned out—

and that we’re pretty happy with those results.

I would contend that what you have in the survey are data points

that sum up the value of the Academy experience for a typical class of graduates. Though I’ve been heard to say that ’77 was the greatest

Academy class ever, in actuality I’m fairly certain that we were “fast, 3 neat, average, friendly, good, good.” Still, I would also contend that an “average” Academy class is a pretty remarkable group of people, given the high degree of selectivity and the competitive nature of Academy appointments. I would maintain that each class contains individuals who not only make exceptional contributions to the Air Force, but also to the nation as a whole. And I say that not just based on the survey data, but also based on the “data” that I happen to know 63

best—the 19 guys who graduated with me as a part of the Firstie Class

doubts that it was the yell given by British commandoes in World War

single “B” for his course work at the Academy—the rest of his grades were all “As.” It was by the grace of God that I had Curt as a roommate for most of my remaining three years at USAFA, for only he had the ability to explain math and science courses in terms that I could understand—and pass. Dutch, like me, was a history major (yeah!);

II when they went into combat (and if that was the case, how did it

Curt was a double major in Astro and Math. When we all got our new

end up as the greeting for a cadet squadron at the American Air Force

cars at

Academy?). The 19 guys I graduated with were typical guys graduating from a typical squadron at USAFA in 1977. In fact, we even had one of our AOCs describe my classmates in Tiger Ten as “mediocre at best”

a

in

iiger len.

So, then, let me say “Huzzah!” right from the start. We said it all the

time, but I was never quite sure what it meant, and I still have grave

when asked on the eve of June Week to compare us to the other two groups of Firsties he had seen up close and personal during his tour at the Academy. But now, 30 years later, I maintain that the classmates I

red Ford pickup, which he delighted in cleaning by driving up to a

car

wash and “hosing out” the inside of the cab. Curt, meanwhile, got

Toyota Celica that he carefully waxed every few months. Yet despite the seeming differences in temperament displayed at the Academy, both took from their experiences here and excelled as officers. Dutch a

flew F-4s, F-15s, and F-l 6s, and served for two years in the late 1980s

knew so well in Tiger Ten were anything but “mediocre,” and I wanted

in the demanding job of aide to General Robert Russ, the Com-

highlight for you some of my memories of them, and what just a few of them have done in the past three decades since graduation.

Here’s a picture of our Tiger Tens Firsties on the eve of graduation. Bright, eager, and ready to go—well, certainly ready to get away from this place! Yet no sooner had we escaped USAFA than tragedy

mander of Tactical Air Command. As the Commander of the 39 th

to

struck—Steve Morris became the second member of our class to die

Wing at Incirlik, Turkey, Dutch directed air strikes against Iraq in Operation Desert Fox in December 1998; he later took command of the 3 rd Wing at Elmendorf from 2002-2004; and he now serves as the Director of Strategy and Policy Assessments for US European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. Curt, meanwhile, became a B-52 pilot

“on the job”; he was killed in a T-38 accident at UPT. For those of us

after graduating with a master’s in astronautics from Stanford, and

who needed reminding that our profession was very different than

then served as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base at the time that

most

others, that was an instant clue. When I heard of Steves death,

Dutch was shepherding General Russ at TAG. After commanding the

I remembered thinking back to a gregarious cadet who never failed

st 31 Test and Evaluation Squadron, Curt returned to B-52s as Com-

help out a classmate needing assistance, a kind-hearted soul who enjoyed playing pranks when he got the chance. And I wonder what he might have accomplished had he made it to our 30 th reunion.

As for the other ’77 grads from Tiger Ten, I haven’t had to wonder.

Four of them became generals, and are all now wearing two stars—a pretty impressive achievement for one squadron’s senior class. One of

mander of the 5 th Operations Group at Minot, and later commanded

to

those is Kurt Cichowski, who will soon become Vice Commander of Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Florida. In

his previous assignment, he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy as a

the 2 nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale, during which time he also served US Central Command’s senior military representative to Pakistan.

as

He’s just finished an assignment as the Commander of the Air Force

Flight Test Center at Edwards and moved to Wright-Patterson AFB to command the Air Force’s Research Laboratory. By virtue of his three Edwards assignments, he’s amassed 4300 flying hours in 74 different types of aircraft.

You now know about several of my Tiger Ten classmates who

part of the Multi-National Task Force in Baghdad; earlier, he had been th wing commander of the 49 Fighter Wing and its stealth fighters at

went on to do

Holloman. Yet I remember him best as the most bow-legged member

know if I’m going to make it to graduation, much less make the

of the Class of 1977, and it was always a mystery to me as to how

Air Force a career.” I can assure you that many—if not most—of

he could run as fast as he did, much less march in a straight line!

us

had that same thought when we sat in Arnold Hall as cadets,

Another Tiger Ten general is Steve Miller—which some might have

so

I wanted to give you a final snippet about a member of Tiger

said was predictable, given that he also served as Cadet Wing Com-

Ten who indeed left the service after initial commitment for flight

mander his Firstie year. Yet Steve was far more “hyper” when he was

training had ended. That guy is Bob McNeal, whom I’ll always remember wandering around the squadron after taps dressed in

a

cadet about whether he would be able to meet his girlfriend (and

future wife) Teresa on a weekend pass than he was about overseeing drill and ceremonies. Six years after graduation he got the chance

display true grace under pressure when a maintenance problem triggered an in-flight emergency in his F-15. He managed to get the crippled aircraft on the ground without incident—a nifty bit of flying that won him the Aviator’s Valor Award that year. He went on th to command the famous 94 “Hat in the Ring” Squadron that had produced Eddie Rickenbacker in World War I, and he would later command Langley’s 1 Fighter Wing. He currently serves as Commandant of the Air War College.

The final two members of Tiger Ten to make general from ’77 were perhaps the yin and yang of our squadron, academically speaking: “Dutch” Remkes and Curt Bedke. Dutch sat on the last row on graduation day, while Curt was a Distinguished Graduate who had only a to

st

64

the end of our “two degree” year, Dutch proudly drove up in

great things in an Air Force uniform, but I’m sure some of you might be thinking, “Wow, that’s great, but I don’t

a

bed sheet that resembled a Roman toga—and this attire came

before John Belushi popularized it in the movie Animal House. Bob got KC-135s to Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, after graduating from UPT—an assignment that he really wanted because it was close to Syracuse University. While a pilot at Griffiss he enrolled at Syracuse and, during his off-duty time, completed a master’s degree in electrical engineering. After a stint teaching Physics at USAFA, he left the Air Force and began a civilian career path that proved both personally rewarding and financially lucrative. He worked at an aerospace firm in Los Angeles, got his MBA from the Wharton School, founded several successful compa-

nies, worked in high-level jobs for the Census Bureau and Time Warner, and now is Vice Chairman of Interoute, a large company that provides telecommunication services across Europe. He

CHECKPOINTS, SEPTEMBER

2008

123

resides in London and typically works 14-hour days despite having “made it”

financially. Thirty years later, though, I still remember him wandering around the squadron looking like Julius Caesar Well, that’s a quick-and-dirty snapshot of one group of cadets who “survived” this place—and I think “survival” is the word we would’ve used 30 years ago. I wish I had time to talk about each of my Tiger Ten classmates, who are all very successful in a multitude of professions, but I know that you have to get back to the dorm to study that Mech—or to watch Smallville\ So let me add just a few brief concluding remarks about what I think that my survey data and Tiger Ten examples reveal ...

about the true value of this institution.

Is there a correlation between what we endured at USAFA and what we accom-

plished later in life? Those dots are probably hard to connect directly, and yet I think that a connection is present. To me, the survey data and Tiger Ten success stories show that the true value of USAFA is both enduring and intangible, no matter how hard those in positions of authority might want to rely on numbers to justify the cost of an Academy education. Our mission statement focused on developing career leaders for the Air Force—a worthy goal, to be sure. Yet such emphasis did not adequately acknowledge that simply creating leaders who are intellectually nimble, with high standards of integrity, and committed to serving the nation is in itself a noble goal—and one that the Academy should pride itself in achieving. The mission statement for the Class of 2010—“to

educate, train, and inspire men and women to

become officers of character, motivated to lead the United States Air Force in service 4

to our nation” —comes closer to

meeting that mark. The mission statement for the

class of2040 is likely to be closer still.

I maintain that the Academy experience not only made us better leaders

than we otherwise would have been, it also made us better people regardless ,

of the professions that we ultimately chose. USAFA enhanced our values, our

standards, and our overall way of thinking—not just about our nation

and its Air Force, but about how we should interact with our fellow human

beings. USAFA further gave us a profound understanding that most meaningful achievements require hard work, and a solid foundation for meeting the unknown challenges of the future; as a result of our Academy experience, most of us don’t rattle too easily when faced with stress. The story of the Class of 1977 is the combination of hundreds of individual success stories, and the

Academy played a significant role in many of those accomplishments. My guess is that would also have been true for the Class of 1959, and that it will be true as well for the Class of 2010—and that it will continue to be the case

long as this Academy exists. The great, enduring value of USAFA cannot be quantified, and yet the value is there—just as certainly as the steel, aluminum, and granite blend together to form the lasting structures of the Cadet Area.

The key elements that make up the ethos of USAFA are not physical—and those are the elements that will forever make the graduates of this institution a worthy match for its mountains. S as

1. See Allison Gawlinski, “‘Bring Me Men and Women’: The Integration of Women

into the United States Air Force Academy,” Air Power History (Summer 2007):

32-45, for a detailed analysis of how the women in the Academy’s Class of 1980

incorporated into the cadet wing.

2. “Academy Seeks New Slogan,” Air Force Press Release, 19 August 2003, accessed

were

at

http://findarticles.eom/p/articles/mi_prfr/is_200308/ai_19534504.

3. The “standard” answers to critiquing a meal in Mitchell Hall on the Cadet Wing Form 0-96.

4. Mission statement taken from official Web page of the US Air Force Academy,

accessed at http://www.usafa.af.mil/index.cfm?catname=Academy%20Info.

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By Darrel Whitcomb, ’69 flight logbook. Every pilot has one. It comes with the profession. If you are an aviator, you know the drill—each flight is logged on a separate' line, detailing its length, origin, destination, etc. And as the years stretch into a career, most flights are logged and forgotten—lost in the totality of ones experiences.

I would also wager that most pilots keep another logbook. It may physically exist or just reside in the mind of the aviator. But this one is more personal, capturing subtle but important details which define those particular flights which represent notable experiences—keepers we call them—and are remembered well beyond their time. They hold the fine print of what it really means to be a pilot.

I have one particular mission like that which lingers with me to this day.

After graduating from USA FA in 1969,1 reported to Laredo AFB, Texas, for pilot training. This was I oil owed by combat tours in Southeast Asia, and then duty as a T-38 instructor pilot at Moody AFB, Georgia. With the force reductions in the mid-1970s, I left active duty to chase an airline career, one of thousands who followed that path. *

Sa

Previous page: A border guard posts we would have flown over.

Right: The bridge and road below it.

But I opted to continue my military flying with the Air Force Reserve and, by the 1980s, was flying A-10s, the anti-tank

fighter-bombers, at Richards-Gebaur Air Reserve Base just south of Kansas City, Missouri. I loved it. We had fine, well-maintained

aircraft, and a fully manned and superbly led unit. Additionally, we

had a real mission. It was the height of the Cold War, and we

assigned to wartime duty to our forces under NATO command in Europe. To demonstrate and refine our capabilities, each summer we deployed to Air Force bases in Germany. There for periods up to a month, we mixed in with the active duty units and showed that we were ready to do our assigned mission.

But one summer was different. In July of 1987, we deployed for a month to Sembach Airbase, about forty miles southwest of Frankfurt.

Instead of reinforcing an active unit though, we replaced it so that it could return to its home station in England and take a well-deserved break from the rigors of front line duty. This meant that instead of focusing all of our energy on training, we would also have to assume responsibility for the alert missions which were assigned to that unit.

Specifically, we had to be ready to launch aircraft on fairly short notice to attack certain pre-selected targets in East Germany if the Warsaw

were

Pact forces initiated an invasion of Western Europe.

This was a big deal, and required lots of preparation and train-

ing for us pilots. To insure that we were ready, our commanders would hold cerification boards before which those of us assigned to fly would have to brief the mission in every detail. It was an intense and thorough process.

I still remember my assigned mission very clearly. I was directed to lead a

flight of four A-10s to strike a bridge/overpass in the Thuringer Wald, a range of mountains, some up to 3000 feet, approximately 100 miles northeast of Frankfurt in what was then East Germany. The bridge was on a train line which was expected to be used by invading units of the Russian 8 th Guards Army. It was a brick and concrete structure which passed over a key road through a narrow valley. By destroying the structure, we could cut that track

through the various allied units from several different nations both enroute to and returning from the target. This was significant because NATO was an alliance of many nations, and each army did things a little differently.

My number three man briefed the specifics of the threats that we

could expect from the enemy units we would encounter. There

were so

many.

Lastly, my number four man briefed the details of the weapons we would be dropping on the target. Each aircraft was scheduled to carry six Mark-82 5001b bombs with special delay fuses on them which would make them especially effective against the bridge.

On presentation day, my flight and I appeared before the certification board. It was chaired by our squadron commander and included two officers from NATO headquarters. One of them was an intelligence officer. The other was a more senior officer, a representative to oversee our process and certify us for the mission. We were given two hours to give the briefing. Each of us stood and detailed our part of the plan. Questions flowed as the members of the board probed our collective depth of knowledge. It was an exhaustive experience.

Finally, our squadron commander said that he was satisfied with our

preparations and stated that he felt that we deserved certifica-

and also block the road below. With one mission, we could cut or

tion. All eyes turned to the senior NATO officer. Fie smiled. But

block two lines of communication. It was a worthy target, and we

before speaking he turned to his intelligence officer and asked for

expected that the enemy units in the area would defend it well.

All four of us pilots assigned to the mission would appear before the certification board. The briefing would be long and detailed. To share the load, I assigned specific duties to each member. For the actual presentation, I would brief the route of flight and attack tactics.

My plan was simple: we would avoid as much of the enemy threats enroute as possible. Over the target, we would attack out of a wheel

his comments. That officer weighed his words carefully. He con-

that each could strike the target from a different direction. This

tory. Our fate would have been capture or death.

The senior NATO officer broke the chilling silence by announc-

so

increased the effectiveness of our weapons and created the most problems for the enemy units expected to be defending the target.

My number two man briefed all of the specific command and control measures that we would have to follow to work our way

curred with the squadron commander. Then he added a chilling

remark, noting dryly that he felt we would destroy the target, but chances were good that two of our A-10s would be shot down. We

four pilots eyed each other uncomfortably. It made us all realize the possible cost of what we were preparing to do, for we all knew that there would be no chance of rescue that deep in enemy terri-

ing that we were certified for the mission. We shuffled out of the briefing room and congratulated one another for the good work.

Then we returned to the normal activities of our fighter squadron 67

It was just a short drive back to my old base at Sembach. The base

and resumed our training flights. The four of us met once more to

had been deactivated. But I parked on an overlooking hill and let the

review the mission before our time in Germany was up. Preparing

memories sweep over me. I had deployed to Sembach four times and

to return to our base in

knew it well. I stared at the hardened aircraft shelters. They were large

Missouri, we relinquished all of our assigned

missions back to the active duty unit we had replaced and headed

domed structures, constructed of thick concrete. We parked our air-

home. We had done well and had proved that we were ready and

craft inside. There, they were protected against attack and could only

able to do our part if we had ever been called upon to do so.

be destroyed by a direct hit with a very powerful bomb.

But that call never came. A few years later, the Soviet Union

Tucked away down in the middle of the base in a nondescript build-

collapsed. With it went the Warsaw Pact and the threat that Western Europe would ever be invaded as was feared during the 1980s. Germany reunified. Some deep thinkers said that it was the resolve of NATO to defend itself which actually prevented what would have been World War III. That is way beyond my level of thinking, and I filed away the memories of that mission.

In 1992,1 happened to be in Frankfurt, Germany on an airline trip.

Because of a scheduling change, I had a free day and was up early for a morning stroll through Mainz. I passed a bookstore, and noticed that it had a map section. I went in and picked up a map of Germany and began to visualize flying over the beautiful terrain of that country. By

ing was our old operations center where we planned our missions and had, in fact, given our certification briefing. It had been our squadron home while we were there. It was all so quiet now, and reminded me of

this time, all of the maps had been modified to remove the old border

between Western and Eastern Germany. But I knew the terrain too

well, and my eyes easily wandered across the map to my target in the

Thuringer Wald. I immediately recognized the train line and conjoining highway and followed them to their junction at the bridge. It was a chilling moment as I recalled our mission.

I put a finger on the bridge and then found my old base at Sembach. Then, as if time had stood still, I retraced our path as we would have flown it. The memories came rushing back, and I knew instinctively what I had to do—I had to “fly” that mission.

I bought the map and returned to my hotel. Given the amount of free time I had available, it would be impossible for me to rent an airplane and actually fly the route. Instead, I rented a car. Within the hour, I was on my way. Before leaving though, I marked my route of flight on the map, even using the old circles, triangles and squares that we used to lay out a military mission. In doing so, I resolved to drive it as closely as I would have flown it.

some

of the old World War II airbases I had visited once in England.

I left the base and drove northeast, passing south of Frankfurt and

the smaller town of Fulda. I stopped along what had been the border

between East and West Germany and walked along the remnants of the old Wall. While there, I watched a German Government team

removing the land mines placed along it. I also climbed into one of the guard towers maintained by the East Germans. It was absolutely chilling to think about what that tower represented.

Then I continued my drive. Strangely, I could feel myself tensing up. Physically, there was certainly no reason to do so because everybody that I encountered was very friendly and helpful. But the memories were too strong. To me, this was still enemy territory.

And as I drove, I could not help but wonder what we would have seen from 500 feet or fewer above the ground and traveling at 300 knots. Part of the flight would have taken us across a wide gentle valley. Driving through it, I looked up at the ridges on each side and pondered how the enemy would have set up his anti aircraft guns and missile sites. The valley was so open that even sitting in my car, I shuddered at how nakedly vulnerable we would have been there.

Then the terrain began to steadily rise and I realized that I was climbing into the hills where our target was located. My finger followed along on the map. Approaching a ridge, I remembered that this would have been the point at which I would have split my flight for the attack on the bridge. My mind raced back through the mental procedures that we had been taught to follow as we

began this maneuver. Our training had just been that thorough.

Then I rounded a turn, and there was the bridge, old and tired, but still being used. I could feel my body tense as I approached it.

I stopped my car about 200 yards short and got out. As I stood there, several vehicles passed. One was a hay wagon being pulled by two stout horses. The farmer waved and shouted a greeting in German. I returned in English. He gave me a surprised look and continued on, oblivious to who I was or why I was there.

I walked up a path to the bridge. Reaching it, I stood there motionless for several minutes before I heard a train approaching.

The ground rumbled slightly as it passed.

It was all so peaceful. I laid out my map and oriented it to north.

There was higher terrain to the east, but the ridge fell off to the north. Looking up, I imagined how we would have circled above.

have made as those enemy shells and missiles found their targets.

The A-10 was a sturdy, well built aircraft and could take lots of

In my mind, I could envision how we would have attacked from

damage—up to a point.

In the crisp blue sky, my eyes saw the parachutes blossom as the stricken pilots ejected from their aircraft. I could hear the emergency beepers screaming on the radio as they drifted to the ground.

different directions. Mentally, I could trace how we pilots would

I now understood what I had been trying to avoid. In terms of the

have maneuvered our aircraft and the bombs would have fallen. Like scenes on

from the movie The Bridges at Toko Ri, I could see them impact

the bridge and then the bridge falling onto the road below.

I remembered that when we were planning the mission, we had

hoped that, fortuitously, there would be a train on the tracks as we attacked. It would certainly have added to the success of our effort.

I realized what that would have meant in human terms. But war

is war, and in times of desperate combat, such peaceful thoughts are a

luxury. Now when I looked up and saw the circling A-1 Os,

war, this

bridge was a minor matter. But to us, the men assigned to

destroy it, that mission could have been the final event of our life.

I was literally standing on the every spot where, if these events had played out, I or three other men under my command could have died.

I was stunned at what my mind had finally made me acknowledge.

Then I looked at that bridge with a much more discerning eye. Was that bridge worth any of our lives? Returning home two days later, the mission to the bridge was still on my mind. Would it have been worth it? It was a beguiling question, and it demanded an answer.

there were men in them, men with names and faces and families

I resisted for about a week. But the memories would not fade.

and so much to live for. And then I recalled the dry words of the

So one evening I went down to the basement, and pulled my box

intelligence officer at the certification briefing.

of old military stuff. I opened up the unit history that we had pub-

As I scanned the area, I could see the enemy antiaircraft guns and

lished for that time period and looked at the four of us in my flight.

missile sites on the high ground. I could see the gun crews firing their long angry bursts of deadly rounds. I could hear the “wooosh”

of the missiles as they streaked skyward with their deadly warheads as

they sought out our—my maneuvering aircraft.

My mind raced with the scenes. I could hear the warning calls

Then I opened my flight log book. Flipping through it, I found my flight entries for the summer of 1987. Noted in some detail were the missions I flew on that deployment. I remembered the

gunnery flights to the ranges at Graffenwohr, Hohenfels, and Wildflecken, and the navigational flights through Bavaria.

But, of course, missing was the mission to the bridge.

I stared at that dry recitation of my flights. Then I looked again

that we would have made to one another. They would have been

desperate calls. I could feel the shudder that the aircraft would

at the faces of us

assigned that mission to the bridge. I discerned

grim determination in each—or at least I did in my imagination. Then I juxtaposed the pictures with my flight log and, in doing so, figured out what the bridge represented. No, that bridge a

would not have been worth any of our lives. But the resolve that it

represented—that I saw there in our young faces—was the value of it all. For, in being prepared to fly that mission, we prevented it from ever having to happen. And that resolve, magnified so many times by the valiant efforts of so many throughout the great NATO alliance, prevented the horrible conflagration which would have been World War III. Those deep thinkers were right and, in a very personal way, we were the personification of that resolve.

So the mission to the bridge is not there in my flight logbook.

No take off, no flight time, no landing, nothing. It never happened—it never existed.

Yet every pilot has two logbooks. And like most, my second logbook doesn’t really exist except in my mind. But amongst all of the flights that I experienced in my 35 years of flying, the mission to the bridge is at the top of my list. It is the “keeper” I remember the most. K C H E C K P OIN T S, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

69

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TOURNAMENT, AND I WONDER IF

supporters of USAFA know these stats, but let me recap just to put them all

world to host this tournament or any of

together and for me to personally relive

the many outreach events we hold at our

the moments as we close in on the next

amazing fields and facilities—I doubt if you

chapter of Air Force athletics.

could find one. I’m also about two weeks

The football team returned to a bowl

away from completing four years in this

position and still having fun. I don’t think

game for the first time in five years, earning a trip to the Armed Forces Bowl. The

I’ve ever used our department motto in

team finished

any of my previous summaries, so I used it

school-record 6-2 mark in the Mountain

to title this short

recap. It’s a great motto, probably not as good as “’66, Blood That

West Conference to finish second. Coach

Sticks!” but it’s pretty good and concisely

of the year, regional coach of the year and

reflects what we do.

was a

Competitive year 2007-08 has been a remarkable year for the Academy. I know

year honors. Individually, Chad Hall was named the Mountain West Conference’s

that all USAFA alumni and friends and

offensive player of the year and earned

9-4 overall and posted a

Troy Calhoun was named MWC coach finalist for national coach of the

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third-team All-American honors. Three

against a powerful Miami of Ohio team

outdoor NCAA All-American in Air Force

of our players, Chad Hall, Drew Fowler,

ranked #2 in the nation. Air Force led that

track and field program history, as he tied

and John Rabold, received serious looks

game 2-1 with about 7 minutes to go,

for second in the pole vault at the NCAA

from NFL teams even though the Air

gave up a power play goal after a contro-

Championships.

Force policy requires at least two years of

versial six-men-on-the-ice penalty, then

active duty time before they could apply

lost in overtime. They’ve proven for two

Paul Gensic and Lt Dana Pounds, who are

for release. They would then also owe six years of reserve time. The highlight

years in a row that they can play with any team in the nation, losing by single goals

of the season, other than the amazing

in the NCAA round of 16 to #1 Minne-

victories over Utah in Salt Lake City, TCU

sota in 2007 and #2 Miami in 2008.

in Falcon Stadium, and Notre Dame in

Both basketball teams were successful, the

currently in the World Class Athlete Program, excelled in the U. S. Olympic Trials, finishing sixth and second respectively.

In gymnastics, 2 Lt. Greg Stine was named the most outstanding senior and coach Kip

South Bend, was of course the Armed

men’s team winning 16 games after losing six

Simons was named coach of the year in the

Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. Matched

players from last year to graduation, includ-

USA Gymnastics Collegiate championships.

against a powerful Cal team that had been

ing four starters. The team kept the string of winning seasons alive at five (after 25 straight prior losing seasons) and finished fifth in the conference, an amazing accomplishment.

The women’s team continued to improve, setting an Academy Division I record with 10 wins and matched their highest standing

On the women’s side, the Mountain Pacific

2008, including impressive early victories over 19th ranked Mississippi State and

in the conference.

Ohio State and late conference series wins

ranked as high as #2 in the nation before

injuries plagued them, Air Force gave them all they could handle and would have won had it not been for the dev-

astating injury to our four-year starting quarterback, Shaun Carney.

Many people have asked about Shaun,

Sports Federation named C2C Abbey Rogers co-gymnast of the year and coach Doug Day regional coach of the year.

The baseball team won 18 games in

and I can tell you that the surgery, per-

The wrestling team qualified four

formed by another great football player,

wrestlers for the NCAA championships

Air Force second baseman/outfielder, was

Lt. Col. JT Tokish, was successful, and

and head coach Joel Sharratt was named

named to the PinglBaseball 2008 All-

Shaun’s goal of walking across the stage to

Western Wrestling Conference coach of

Freshmen Team. Carter was a third team

accept his diploma from President Bush was achieved. Shaun will be with us for a

the year after a second place finish in the

selection at second base. He was also recog-

NCAA West Regionals.

nized by the NCAA as the nation’s leader in

year as a Graduate Assistant, so we’ll get

Track coach Ralph Lindeman was

him back to playing shape.

Our Hockey Team won its second

straight Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament, sweeping Bentley in the quarterfinals, beating RIT in the semis, and then defeating Mercyhurst in a thrilling 5-4 double overtime victory.

That led to their second consecutive NCAA tournament berth in a match up

72

Two former track and field athletes, Capt.

named MWC coach of the year after lead-

ing the Air Force men’s team to a top three finish. Air Force senior David Lissy, the 2008 Mountain West Conference indoor

shot put champion, was honored by the

National Strength and Conditioning Association with its All-American Strength and

Conditioning Athlete of the Year award.

C3C Nick Frawley became the 21st

over

BYU and UNLV. C3C Nathan Carter,

triples per game, and the Falcon squad was #1 in that category thanks to Nathan.

The Air Force lacrosse team is one of five teams set to join the ECAC Lacrosse

League beginning in the 2009-10 season, as announced

by ECAC Commissioner Rudy Keeling. Along with the Falcons, Bellarmine, Denver, Ohio State and Quinnipiac will join existing members Fairfield, Hobart and Loyola.

So much for the recap, but lest we

later finished third in the competition, lead-

forget our number one mission at the Air Force Academy, producing leaders of character for the nation, I need to

ing to his selection to the world team. When I first heard of this, I was reminded of Bobby Jones’ famous act of sportsmanship when he

share with you an incident that truly

called a two stroke penalty on himself, a pen-

epitomizes that highest priority. Recently,

2007-08. He will now go forward for

alty no one else saw, in the 1925 US Open and lost by a shot. This act of sportsmanship at the World Cup in Basel, Switzerland, ranks right up there with the highest acts of sportsmanship ever.

further consideration as the Mountain

Our cadet athletes continue to excel in

C2C Peter French was announced as the

Mountain West Conference Hal Rothman

Sportsmanship Award recipient for

their mission elements in the early years, AD was so

being used by some other organization,

the D wasn’t available. When we asked

about it more recently, the D was available

again, so now we re AD. Anyway, there’s lots going on in AD. We hired a replacement for Senior Associate Athletic Director Mike

Saks, who’s now

with the Orange Bowl Committee. We were

West Conference’s candidate for NCAA

all facets of Academy life, and we had 41

lucky to hire Jim Trego into that position.

Some of you might remember Jim from his Air Force days here in the department

Sportsman of the Year.

Academic All-Conference selections in the

back in the mid-90’s. Jim left the Air Force,

Photos courtesy ofUSAFA Athletics

A native of Austin, Texas, Peter has com-

Mountain West Conference. Six Air Force

peted as a member of the Falcons’ fencing team for two years. He routinely portrays the ideals of sportsmanship and competitive

athletes were named to the 2008 ESPN The

Magazine Academic All-America® University Division At-Large All-District VII Teams.

The Spring 08 Wing Cumulative Physical Education Average and Physical Fitness Test scores established new 5-year highs. 100 percent ofUSAFA 2008 Class passed the AF

spent a short time with the Western Athletic Conference office in Denver, then 15 years at Baylor University. He brings great

top eight individuals and eventual selection to the World Team, Peter struck the floor in

Fitness Assessment and 60 percent scored at

experience and a much different perspective from a Big 12 school. We also took the opportunity to restructure the department organization to better fit the anticipated move to a non-profit status for Air Force Academy Athletic Association, but more

the Excellent level.

on

failed attempt for his opponent’s foot. The

Most of you have probably seen the

division structure to a more streamlined and

scoring director did not observe the floor touch, and awarded a point to Peter, who immediately acknowledged the mistake and asked the director to remove a point from

above recap in some form on our Web

functional dual deputy structure, with Jim

site, www.goairforcefalcons.com, but I wanted to comment on some of the high-

Trego as the Deputy Athletic Director for External Programs and Col. Billy Walker as the Deputy Athletic Director for Internal

his score—a gesture unheard of in interna-

lights. There were obviously many more successes and accomplishments.

tional competition. Peter’s opponent, the

So what else is going on in AD? Just as

respect, and his character was never more evident than during a match at the 2008

Junior Men’s Epee World Cup in Basel, Switzerland. During a bout to determine the

a

champion from France, thanked him for his sportsmanship and the bout continued.

Several touches passed, and Peter’s opponent accidentally hit the floor. He, too, acknowledged his mistake with a mutual understanding he was returning the earlier favor.

Peter emerged from the bout victorious and

that in a minute. We moved from a six

AH, but when Gen. Regni asked why we

Programs. All of the functions and operations under Jim will more easily transition into the non-profit corporation when that finally happens. So where are we with

AH and not AD, since AD seemed

that? I’ve learned more about the legislative

appropriate to him for the “Athletic Department,” we didn’t have a good answer.

process than I ever wanted to know, but with

You’ll love this—a little research revealed that

we’re getting there. We’ve had great support

when the Academy was designating letters for

from Gen. Regni, the top leaders in the Air

an as

aside, some of you might remember us

were

more

every two steps forward and one step back,

Force, particularly former Secretary Wynne

of which will go toward fixing this aging Air

times or dates until 10 days before the game.

and former Chief of Staff Gen. Moseley,

Force Academy? This is where the excite-

On top of that, we’re sharing TV revenue

the Academy Board of Visitors, alumni and

really high because a relatively new organization supporting the Air Force Academy, the USAFA Endowment, Inc., has taken on the challenge of building the IPF for the Academy and the athletic department and is well on the way to making it happen.

Membership in this group reads like a Who’s Who of 50 years of Academy grads, but isn’t limited to grads. One of the most recent members is former Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne, a ’66 West Point graduate. This group is selflessly dedicated to the Academy and has made it their goal to raise funds to keep USAFA at the top in all areas.

We are honored that they have made the IPF one of their first major capital projects. You’ll be hearing much more about this powerful

that’s more than twice the amount ESPN

friends in the D. C. area who have pushed hard to get through the wickets, and most

recendy from CM Robin Hayes (R-NC), who has graciously taken this on for us and secured a place holder for the eventual legislation. I have great hopes that we’ll be operating as a 501 c3 Colorado Corporation within a year.

On the facility side, there are some

other exciting things happening to keep us at the top of our

game. Like most of the buildings at the Academy, we’re getting

old. The 10ABW and the 10CES have

again held us together and patched us where needed so that the best events staff in the country could continue to offer

the finest intercollegiate, intramural, and

physical education programs in America.

Gen. Regni has worked his magic to get long range funding to “Fix USAFA” and we’re part of that. It’s a long but steady process. Right now we’re redoing the

ment level is

season

and the great exposure all Air Force

sports teams will receive.

Let me close this by philosophizing for a moment about what’s

going on in amateur sports in America, because, as a major Div. I NCAA program, we are obviously affected by all of that. College sports is on a

runaway train, and it’s hard to stay on

board. Coaches’ salaries are off the scale;

transportation costs are staggering because of fuel costs; recruiting budgets have doubled and tripled in the last few years; academic standards are being addressed

by the NCAA but are tough to enforce; and it’s an arms race explosion of facility construction to entice recruits. Anyone

group in years to come.

I’ve received a lot of comments and advice

who followed the press coverage of Bill Self,

about the much talked about TV contract

Kansas basketball coach, during the Final

that the Mountain West Conference signed

Four in San Antonio when he was being

with CBS and Comcast. MWC Commis-

wooed by Oklahoma State to the tune of

sioner Craig Thompson has worked tirelessly

a

rumored $4M/year for ten years, knows

indoor track, the Clune Arena floor, and

to

bring this contract to completion with

that this is out of control. When Coach

starting Phase 2 of the seven year project to refurbish the Cadet Gymnasium, a

the kind of national exposure we need. Now

Saban signed with Alabama for $32M for

that we will finally have satellite coverage

$50M effort. That will add efficiencies

for theMtn. on Direct TV beginning on

and quality of life for cadets and staff if we

Aug. 27, Air Force games will be accessible

can

nationwide. We still have some work to do to

the new Cadet Fitness Center next year.

get the same coverage on the Dish Network and some uncovered regional cable networks,

eight years, a new standard was set. There’s no end in sight for programs which literally want, and have the money, to buy national championships. Ohio State University has an athletic budget over $100M, four times our budget, yet they sponsor fewer sports teams

It will be a $ 16M milcon addition to the

but we now have some negotiating power

and athletes than USAFA. On the academic

gym on the west side dedicated mostly to the 3000+ non-intercollegiate cadets

thanks to Direct TV We are fortunate to be

side, NCAA President Myles Brand has set

in a partnership with CBS, CBS-C (the old

who have been shortchanged on workout

CSTV), theMtn and VS (Versus, the old Outdoor Life Network). That’s a powerful

high performance standards but has found them tough to enforce. The two significant

just survive these next few years.

We will also probably break ground on

equipment that matches current physical fitness trends. It will include things like

climbing walls, lots of aerobic machines, and even a Fire Arms Training System (FATS) to hone cadet marksmanship.

On the “nice-to-have-but-will-never-

be-funded” list, we are very excited about

.,

lineup of sports networks. I have to remind people who ask why we ever left ESPN that we would have been playing games on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at any time between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and we might not know the start

the progress toward an Indoor Practice it’s an absolute necessity if we want to stay

competitive at the Div I level. We were the only MWC bowl team last season without a dedicated IPF. To the right is a picture of the proposed structure. The actual structure will probably change some as we develop this, but it’ll be impressive out there on the practice fields.

So how do we pull this off in the midst of limited military construction dollars, most

measures are

Academic Progress Report and

Graduation Success Rate. The Air Force

Academy is among the top ten schools in the NCAA in both of those measures, but it’s

tough to compete against schools in our own conference which have GSRs of 15 percent and 30 percent. When winning is the only

priority, student-athletes suffer.

I point this out because all of us should be even more proud of the competitive spirit of all of our cadet-athletes—we win

Facility. As Coach Calhoun will tell you,

74

offered. I’m excited about this upcoming

while holding to the highest standards of fair play, academic excellence, and the right priority. Our # 1 priority hasn’t

changed. We’re producing leaders of character for America.

“Tomorrow’s Leaders

Forged Through Competition Today.” H The proposed Indoor Practice Facility

Wo m c i is

Volley Din

i

Season Preview Courtesy of Air Force Athletics ith a

friendly schedule and strong roster of returning players, the Air Force team embarks volleyball on an 2008 exciting competitive season. Six talented freshmen join returning platoon of 16 athletes. With several bers of last year’s starting rotation back in the memveteran lineup, presence and incoming talent should provide

W

a

a

strong combination for success.

Although the Falcons will have to

year starting setter and a

replace

a

the team lead in

having a

experience

four-

starters. Last

31 matches and

Stilwell was the

played in 100 of 104

games. In fact,

only freshman to earn a

starting line-up during the season Stilwell returns to the

spot in the

opener.

lineup after posting the best

hitting percentage (.210) and

blocking average (0.75) on Harrington was second in those same categories (.194 hitting percentage; 0.68 The the team last

year, while

twosome also

assumed at least some blocking). part of

the rotation.

starting

2.56

kills-per-game

the team in

(2.29 per game). She is also digs a force having accounted for at least 25 from the backline,

volleyball team embarks on the 2008

consistent of the returning season, the duo started 30 of the team’s

junior Katie Calif.), brings two years of back to

average, while ranking second on

THE RETURNING STARTERS The Air Force

Sophomore Nichole Stilwell (Divide, Colo.) and junior Michelle Harrington may very well be the most (Stuttgart, Germany)

a

Since entering the lineup in the season opener of her freshman campaign, Batchelder has missed just three matches over the last two years.

Batchelder led the team with a

six athletes

much of the same lineup as one year ago, when the Falcons their most victories the 2003 season. posted (7) since

worthy of spot on the

Batchelder (Chico,

who spent part of the season as significant starters, including both of the team’s captains, and the last two MVPs.

season with

blocking during 25 matches, while

Division I lists. Stilwell program’s single-season moved into seventh with 63 assisted blocks, while ranked 10th with 17 Harrington is solo stops.

One of the team’s top threats,

combination who started 24 matches, Air Force does return

some

seasons

kills in each of her

first two seasons.

Sophomore Caroline Kurtz

who started 20

(Albuquerque, N.M.),

15 of the last matches—including 16—and saw action in 93 total games, became a strong presence on both the offensive and defensive sides of the net. one of

Along with Batchelder, Kurtz was

just two Falcons to clear the 200

plateau, averaging

kills/200 digs

team-high 2.47 digs per game.

Like her starting classmate Stilwell, Kurtz made her mark on the team’s record book as single-season a rookie.

Entering the list tied for seventh with 230 digs, Kurtz looks to return her name to that list with a standout a

sophomore

The foundation of campaign. the 2008 squad will be set by seniors Jasamine Pettie (Baton Rouge, La.) and Kristina Stewart (Glendale, Ariz.), as the duo was selected to

CHECKPOINTS, JUNE 2 0OR

While at Andrews, Roesch was an assistant coach for the

share the captaincy duties for the Falcons this season.

These two leaders provide a wealth of knowledge for their

Fairfax Stars, an AAU Club team. In 2007, Roesch helped

younger teammates, as they have been members of the starting rotation for each of their first three years. Pettie, a Rookie

guide the Stars to a fifth-place finish at U-14 AAU Div. I National Tournament. In addition to her coaching duties,

of the Year in 2005, and Stewart, last year’s team MVP, have

Roesch was a member of the 2007 All-Air Force Women’s

become vital pieces of the Air Force program and look to

Basketball Team.

Roesch was a four-year letterwinner at Air Force appear-

continue that tradition in 2008.

Pettie, who served as a co-captain last season for the Falcons, has played in 259 games during her first three years,

ing in 92 career games, scoring 458 career points. A scoring

posting a 1.28 kills-per-game average, while collecting 79

emy with 68 three-point baskets made. As a senior, Roesch started all 28 games and earned the teams’ Falcon Award. As

total blocks. Stewart has been in 261 career games, compiling averages of 1.74 kills and 1.91 digs per games.

In an award selected by her teammates, Stewart earned the

team’s MVP honor last year. She started 21 matches, but was also strong bench player in other matches. Throughout the season, she posted a team-high in nearly every statistical category. Pettie a

the starting rotation for 21 matches, including the final six.

was in

Stewart and Pettie were in the starting rotation for 22 and 21

threat from long-range, she ranks 10th all-time at the Acad-

sophomore, Roesch averaged a career-best 6.8 points per game, ranking third on the team.

“This is an absolute dream job for me,” Roesch said. “I really look forward to coaching and instructing the amazing a

young women and men of this institution on and off the basketball court.”

Roesch earned a Bachelor of Science in behavioral science

matches, respectively. And when they were not in the opening

with an emphasis in counseling and human development

lineup, they were usually the first ones off the bench. They are strong all-around players, having posted team-high marks in several statistical categories throughout the season. SS

from the Academy in 2005. She replaces Capt. Ali Anders, who took a position as the executive Air Force Athletic

Department Executive Officer.

Roesch is one of two new coaches to join the Falcon staff for the 2008-09 season. Kirk Crawford joined the Falcon staff in July.

H

in Prcsc^son

Courtesy of Air Force Athletics 005 Academy grad and four-year letterwinner returns to Falcon women’s

hoops.

Lt. Jennifer Roesch has agreed to become an assistant

coach on the Air Force women’s basketball staff, head coach Ardie Mclnelly announced. Roesch was a four-year letterwinner on

the Falcon basketball team from 2001-05.

“We are very excited to have Jenn on our staff,” Mclnelly said. “As someone who has played at the Academy, in addition to the

Prep School and gone out into the Air Force, Lt. Roesch can help our recruits and our younger players better understand what being a cadet-athlete at the Academy is all about.”

Roesch’s responsibilities will be game day and practice preparation, opponent scouting and recruiting. In addition she will work with the Falcon guards.

A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Roesch returns to the Academy

after three years at Andrews AFB, Md., where she served as

contracting officer in the 316th Contracting Squadron, providing acquisition support for the presidential airlift group (home of Air Force One). Various jobs were contracts manager and buyer/ administrator for base operation support and civil engineering services, government purchase card inspector, Global War on Terror equipment buyer and squadron executive officer.

Poll

Courtesy of Air Force Athletics he Falcons are the highest ranked service academy.

The Air Force men’s gymnastics team earned a

12th-place ranking in the first preseason poll, the NCAA recently announced. The Falcons, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Kip Simons, are coming off one of the best seasons in program history. Bolstered by an impressive lineup of returning gymnasts, the Falcons welcome a talented class of newcomers to the program.

“It’s awesome to know that people out there believe in our

program,” Simons said.

Air Force is the highest ranked service academy, as Navy is ranked 13th and Army is 18th. In addition, the Falcons have the fourth-highest ranking of teams in the Mountain Pacific

Sports Federation. Defending champion Oklahoma is ranked first, while Stanford is second. Rounding out the strong fiveteam league are California (ninth) and Nebraska (15th).

“Taking a team to the NCAA would be a dream come true for us,” Simons continued. “It is a great honor to be recognized like this, now it’s up to us to make it happen.”

I

76

www.GoAirForceFal or

call 719.472.1895 or

Follow the Falcons home and away- every game on KVOR 74

2008 Air Force Football Home Schedule

Aug 30 Sep 20

Southern Utah

12:00 PM

NO TV

Oct 23

New Mexico*

6:00 PM

CBS C

Utah*

2.00 PM

VERSUS

Nov 8

CSU*

4:00 PM

THE MTN.

Oct 4

Navy

2:00 PM

VERSUS

Nov 15

BYU*

1:30 PM

CBS C

*

Mountain West Conference Games. All game times are Mountain Time.

THE FALCON PRIDE CLUB

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The Official Tailgate Party- Tailgate in Style! Let us do the work for you on game day!

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2,000 person capacity tent in Falcon Fan Fest

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$20 for Falcon Pride or Falcon Pride

Open 2 hours prior to kickoff

Letterwinner Club Members; $25 for

Fully catered meal and all you can drink

allwalkups

To order tickets and for more information please visit

www.FalconPrideBoosterClubs.com or can 719.333.2626

Cadet T-Shirt 100% Pre-shrunk cotton. White with dark navy ringer collar anc

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Coming Soon 1

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Laser Engraved Pen Set

2007 Ornament

Pins match all current squadron

Order Options: Up to 3 lines

Prop & Wings in front of USAFA

patches and many previously used patches (Please specify $4.25 squadron)

and 2 crests maximum on case;

and US flags in silver-tone.

Watch the AOG's

USAFA, AOG, or Class crest -if

Background is 24kt gold plated with Air Force Academy across

Web site at

pen; and wood choice of Maple or Rosewood. Please allow 4

the top and 2007 at the bottom

www,

weeks for delivery.

Approx. 2.5" in diameter.

crest is available; name on the

$21.25

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AF/ AOG TOTE BAG

Expect Great Things

Return With Honor

Black, blue, and white tote with AF insignia and

A historical documentary of the

Documentary recounting the

first fifty years of the U.S. Air

AOG Crest. Large zippered

Force Academy. Available in

compartment with storage pockets. Size: 17.5 x 14x3, 400D polyester. $10.25

DVD and VHS

first-hand stories of American fighter pilots shot down over North Vietnam and their time in

$12.75

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for more information,

License Piate Frames

'Alumni', 'Falcons', or 'Parent' across

Academy' across the bottom.

Each frame

shop online

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day at ]

the top and 'Air Force

$21.25

View all merchandise offered by the AOG and a

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Remember all the great stories your classmates shared with one another at your last reunion? Share some of the most important memories of your life with the readers of Checkpoints

magazine.

Checkpoints wants to publish your cadet experiences and stories of how your four years at the Academy affected your career and life.

Submit story between 500-2,000 words. Photos must be in “jpg” format, 300

dpi at 7 inches wide. E-mail to editor@aogusafa.org. If mailed, include a digital copy (photos will be scanned and returned) and mail to: 3116 Academy Dr., USAF Academy, CO 80840.

www.usafa.org half-time medal presentation ceremony. UH

Northern California Chapter

designated this game as their annual salute to

Mark your calendars for the weekend

the Armed Forces, and we are expecting it to

of Sept. 13, for a summer event. We are

be a great event.

planning a summer picnic and would love to have you attend. Watch your

Iowa Chapter

emails for more details. Please contact

“Iowa AOG Chapter Formed!” Congratu-

Susan at oisusan@yahoo.com if you have

lations to the Iowa Chapter and to Luke

suggestions or would like to coordinate

Porisch, ’01, for rallying the graduates in

an event.

forming the Chapter! If you are interested in getting involved with the Iowa Chapter, contact Luke Porisch, lporisch@gmail. com or (319) 654-6345. Website: http:// iowaaog.blogspot.com/ New England Chapter The Chapter is planning a bus trip to West Point to watch the Falcons beat ‘em up in

football. Everyone is invited to attend on Nov. 1. We will travel by Motor Coach Bus!

Our goal is to get at least 50 fans to sign up, making the cost/person approximately $70-80 (including $36 for the group

AFA Society of North Carolina We meet, informally, on the third Wed. of

each month at Players Retreat, 105 Oberlin Road in Raleigh. No RSVP is required.

Also, the second round of the Triangle Area Service Academy Golf Tournament

game ticket). Please contact 2Lt. Andrew Ramsey, ’07, (781) 377-6876, Andrew.

Ramsey@HANSCOM.AF.MIL. The bus rental is contingent on the participants.

Purchase game tickets for AF vs. Army at https://www.groupticketwindow.com/

will be played on Sept. 20.

groupticket/college/falcons/group username: NEAOG, password: BEATARMY.

Arizona Chapter

New York Metropolitan

Our Chapter will once again travel to San

Area Chapter

Diego this Oct. 11, for the USAFA-San Diego State Football game. This has been a fun trip in the past and we tailgate with other Chapters before the game. If you are inter-

The Chapter website is up and running at

ested, please contact Tim Furst, ’78, at (602) 222-3003; Tim@FamiliesFurst.com

WWW.NYAOG.COM. Visit the website

for all of the latest information on chapter

Goal 1

including the West Point tailgate party, chapter meetings, and other local social/sporting events.

Celebrate Academy Heritage North Texas Association

events

Our Founder’s Day celebration was at the

home of Kir k Bell, ’76, in the form of a

Heartland-Lemay Chapter We are in the process of determining interest in a joint group trip with members of the local Naval Academy Society to watch the AF/Navy game in Oct. Houston Chapter The Chapter, the AOG and the UH ROTC

planning the pregame mixer for the 1st ever USAFA vs. UH football game, Sept. are

13. Many thanks to Col. Phil Bossert, ’82,

commander of the UH ROTC detachment, for his work in helping us coordinate with UH and his efforts in arranging a fly-by and

North Texas Association We are planning our Fall Barbeque to

watch the Navy game on Oct. 3. All grads in the North Texas area are invited. Our

“Margaritaville” party with 50 grads and guests for catered Tex-Mex and beverages.

The price was free for paid members of NTAAFAG (dues only $30).

main focus this fall is working with the

AOG on the Tailgate Party for the AF/

Goal 2

TCU football game on Nov. 22. Long-

Keep abreast ofAir Force and USAFA topics

time member H. Ownby, ’69, is heading up the effort with volunteer work done

by NTAAFAG members. Unfortunately, it is on the same day as our annual Flag

Football tournament with the grads from West Point and Annapolis, so we may not

be able to defend our crown.

C H E C K P OIN T S, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

Houston Chapter

Gary Howe,’69, former AOG CEO, spoke at our spring dinner where he gave an update

regarding the AOG, its search for a new president, and what the future holds for the AOG and the grad community.

81

North Texas Association

Goal 5

Stuart Hixon, ’83, of Woodstock, GA. Miss

Our monthly luncheon has had several

Interact with other service academy

Hixon will be attending the University of

interesting speakers, most notable of which

graduates.

Alabama this fall. She is both an outstanding

included AOG Chairman Jim Wheeler, ’64,

AFA Society of North Carolina

student and athlete in swimming.

discussing the current state of the AOG.

On May 10, Society members participated in the 1st round of the Triangle Area Service

Goal 4

Provide graduates networking

opportunities AFA Society of North Carolina On Feb. 7, “Wild Bill” Stealey, 70, and Tom Sylvester, ’82, hosted a dinner at

Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, NC. The guest speaker was Ernie St. Gelais,

’78. Ernie was invited by his classmate Steve Lofgren, ’78, to present his experiences

in the start up of two companies.

Academy Golf Tournament in Holly Springs, NC. The competition includes USMA, USNA, USAFA and USCGA graduates in the area. The winning team takes possession of the “Old Boot”, which may not be the Commander-in-Chief s Trophy, but is prized nonetheless. T1 has been going on for eight years. In the beginning, we only played one round.

Atlanta Chapter L to R: EricZurbrugg,’65, Miss -

Shelby Hixon, Ken Grizzle,’63, Bill Morgan,’65.

However, everyone has so

Houston Chapter

much fun; we decided to

The Houston Chapter watched Bob

play one round in May and 2nd round in Sept.

Lowe, ’59, perform in “Twelve Angry Men.” Also, the Chapter sat with a local band at a neighborhood nightclub to

Goal 6

watch Rick Wade, 70, (where he stole the

Give back to the community AFA Society of North Carolina

show) who was a professional musician for 12 years (before getting a real job), singing

On June 24, Chuck Kavcsak, ’68, hosted

and playing the guitar and harmonica.

Society members to a Durham Bulls baseball Goal 8

game. Attendees had a great time and watched the Bulls defeat the Lehigh Valley

Assist Liaison Officers and Recruit

AFA Society of North Carolina- Tom Sylvester, ’82

Iron Pigs. Also, Rob Marshall, ’01, and

Qualified Candidates

and Matt Valle, ’85

Christian Helms, ’01

North Texas Association

Arizona Chapter

up from Hurlburt Field, having flown their CV-22 Osprey ,

were

The Association also supported “Academy Night”, organized by the Liaison

Barb and Ron Marusiak, ’71, again

through the mountains of N. Carolina. Since we were all well behaved, Chuck promised to

graciously hosted a fireworks/dessert/bev-

take us out to the ball game again.

5, representatives and speakers from the Academies, ROTC, and Congressional

erages party at their house on the Arizona

Country Club golf course. The fireworks and patriotic music were awesome and a good time was had by all. This has become an

Officers from all branches. Held on May

office staffers informed students interested in pursuing military education about the

options and processes.

annual tradition. Our thanks to Carol

and Doug Pelton, 74, for hosting our

Goal 9

annual pig roast. We had a great turnout

Assist Parents Clubs/Cadets

and this was a first class event.

Atlanta Chapter AFA Society of North Carolina

-

Front Row (L-R)

Marcella (Gomez), ’82 and Andy Stanaski, ’80, Pat

On May 18, members of the Atlanta

Chapter joined the Georgia Parents Club

Yanke, ’93, Sally and Mike Wagner, ’68, Ann and Lou

Kingsland, ’59, Kathy and Tom Pratt, 70, Second Row (L-R): Courtney, Chris, Lynn and Chuck Kavcsak, ’68, Diana and Ron Marquette, ’67.Third Row (L-R) Rob

Marshall, ’01, Christian Helms, ’01, Jenna (Sharp) Reed, ’01 and Kaly (McKenna) Godfrey, ’03. Not Pictured: Karen (cut out due to operator error) and Jim Arizona Chapter Annual Pig Roast: Jack Frost, ’68,

Herrmann, 72 (behind the camera).

Mike Lynch, ’65, Mark Donnelly, 75, Jeff Hackett,

75, Dianne Langmade, ’80, Mike Langley, ’68, Roy Miller, '67, Dick Bethurem, ’66, Terry Issacson, ’64, Tim Furst, 78, Jack Swanson, ’62, Rick Wahl, 74, Ed Reisdorf, ’63, Bob Mazet, ’63, Doug Pelton, 74, Sig Nelson, 78, Bill Gregory, 79, Ron Marusiak, 71, and Doug Frost, ’64.

82

Atlanta Chapter On July 14, members of the Atlanta Chapter

Atlanta Chapter L to R: Waldo “YourWingman”

presented a National AOG Graduate Dependent Scholarship check for $1000 to Miss Shelby Hixon, daughter of Victoria and

Waldman, '90, Larry Engleson, 76, Dave Spencer,

C FI E C K P OIN T S

,

SEPTEM B ER 2 008

-

’69, Guy Gardner, ’69, EricZurbrugg, ’65, Ken Grizzle, ’63, and Les Dyer. ’69.

at their annual Hail

Silver Falcons

& Farewell Banquet.

Guest speaker was Col. Guy Gardner,

’69, who fascinated all present with a ter-

Gaye and Gordon Palmer went on a Danube River cruise Aug. 19 Sept. 8. Delene and

rific presentation on his astronaut opera-

Stan Keck attended Stan’s 54th reunion at

tions augmented with great videos from

USNA and they have been on the road since

space. Col. Gardner personally welcomed each incoming member of the class of

the end of May. Jeanette and Lester Bergsten

won’t be able to attend this year’s convention

2012 as they were introduced.

since they are listed as VIP visitors for the

—

Heartland-Lemay Chapter The Chapter hosted two events in conjunction with the cadet’s “Operation AF” tour

Piedmont Chapter- Fifth Annual Cadet Appointee

Shuttle launch in Sept. Carol and Chuck

Luncheon

Foster report that their grandson Hans was

to Offutt AFB. We had a cookout for the

At the luncheon, each graduate recounted

WA, to Vance AFB in Enid OK, where he

USAFA and ROTC cadets at Dave Web-

their funniest USAFA memory. After, the

will begin Undergraduate Pilot Flying Train-

ster’s, ’80, home and invited the cadets to

appointees asked questions of the graduates.

Trip Ashe, ’86 (president), and Drew Riolo, ’72 (vice president) thank the attendants

ing. Jill and Kirk Brown have been crossing first grandchild, Katelyn Jeanne Duerr, born

and cadet sponsors: Steve Hoagland, ’70;

Jan 23, to Tracy (daughter) and Adam Duerr

Jim Thomasson, ’60; Kevin Barnes, ’94; Steve Huntley, ’69; James Dye, ’86; Steven Freund, ’85; Ray Haile, ’74; and Tim Comin, ’67. Also, thanks to 2Lt. Erica Juchter, ’08, who provided current USAFA

of Syracuse, NY. Jill and Kirk were there for

attend a presentation from a member of the

League of WWI Aviation Historians.

North California Chapter The Chapter supported the Doolie Send

Off/Appointee Dinner on June 15. We had an incredible outpouring of help for the event! Bill Coleman, ’71, Major Kevin

Minor, ’97, and Major Dave Abrahamson, ’95, were speakers and did a fabulous job!

The Parent’s Association of Northern Cali-

fornia, the Appointees, and the cadets were

transferred from Fairchild AFB in Spokane

activities. More importantly, we thank the

attending appointees: Cole Smith, Zach Hamby, Jonathan Cody, Joel Short, Michael Malone, Lee Embry, and Morgan Grohol.

thrilled by the advice and stories.

On June 14, the NTAAFAG participated in ”

the birth, and then visited again in March.

There are requests for Academy catalogs to be sent to high school students in the home area

of retired Silver Falcons. The Academy

catalog is no longer available in printed form, only available on the web at www.academyadmissions.com. Students who want to contact their local Admissions Liaison

Officer,

they can call 1-800-443-9266. Silver Falcons Conference in Sept, include potential attendees: Hilda and Bob Dodge, Carol and Chuck Foster, Delene and Stan Keck, Gaye and

North Texas Association the annual “Summer Send-off

the country every three months to visit their

Gordon Palmer, Ruth Whitaker, Jill and Kirk

organized

by local Liaison Officers and the Parents Club in Grapevine. Academy or Prep School appointees attended with their parents to

AcademyWomen

Brown. This year’s agenda includes many of

Our newsletter Focus features inspiring

the usual events: Updated briefings from the

stories and articles for personal and profes-

AOG, Admissions, and the Superintendent;

collaborate with current cadets and their

sional development. Check the website,

Staff Tower and Football luncheons; a tour

parents. A picnic and a softball game featured AF grads who teamed with West Point grads

www.academywomen.org, for information and to sign up for free membership. Reg-

of Academy facilities; outside dinner at the

compete against 18 and 19 year old cadetsto-be. The old guys won, but we hope the

istration is open for the 5th Annual Acad-

and the football game vs. Utah. Rooms are

emy Women Symposium on Oct. 17-19

secured at the USAFA Rampart Lodge.

to

young people won by getting familiar with others from the DFW area as they start their new

Flying W Ranch; a pre-football game tailgate,

Please contact Rampart Lodge at (

19)

333-4910 for availability. New events for this

schooling and careers.

year include a visit to the Colorado Wolf and

Wildlife Center and a melodrama play at the Iron Springs Chateau.

Space Group Graduates interested in learning more in Arlington, VA. Speakers include the

about the Space Group can check out the

1st female generals: Jeanne Holm, Wilma

Web site usafaspace.tripod.com or contact

Vaught, Pat Foote and Admiral Marty Evans. On Oct. 17, AcademyWomen will host a Career Workshop devoted to professional development. Panels include

Stan Rosen, ’69, at 310-642-4653. We

Piedmont Chapter

Women and War, The Superwoman Com-

about our activities should check that site

The Chapter hosted its Fifth Annual Cadet

plex. There will be a preview screening of the newly produced film, “Lioness,” on

North Texas Association Send Off

Appointee Luncheon on June 12, in Charlotte, NC. The appointees had an opportunity to meet future classmates and graduates.

women

are

expanding our use of ZoomieNation

as a

communication forum for the Space

Group. Anyone interested in learning more or our

Web site usafaspace.tripod.com.

in Iraq.

83

Association of Graduates UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

Your Association of Graduates will hold an election for seven new AOG Board members

during the spring of 2009.

We are looking for great graduates who want to continue to move the AOG forward. If you are interested please follow the directions below and good luck.

PROCESS •

Deadline for application or petition is October 10, 2008.

•

Specific requirements and forms are available on the AOG Web site.

—

www.usafa.org/about/Governance/NominationProcedures.aspx

THE ELECTION •

Will be conducted during March and April of 2009.

•

The election will be a “hybrid” system of paper ballots and electronic

•

We will elect 5 directors to four-year terms and 2 directors to two-year terms.

voting.

CANDIDATE COMMITMENT •

Be dedicated to the vision, mission, ideals and principles for which the AOG stands.

•

Be capable of attending all meetings of the AOG Board, and any committees to which he/she is

•

Be able to commit the time required to discharge Board and committee duties.

•

Be able to discharge his/her duties in good faith, with the care that an

assigned.

ordinarily prudent person in a like

position would exercise under similar circumstances, in a manner consistent with the best interests of the AOG.

Important notes 1) “Capable of attending” means being able and willing to afford the travel to and from Colorado Springs at least four times a year and able to afford the time away from his/her profession to attend these meetings and for related work.

The AOG travel expense policy is currently under review. The bylaws allow reimbursement, and the Board would like to reimburse directors for expenses as long as it can be done in a financially responsible manner. It is expected that a new travel policy will be adopted at the December 2008 Board meeting.

2) The workload of a Board member is very significant. In addition to quarterly two or three day meetings, Board members have daily discussions and debates via email as well as committee and Board meetings by teleconference.

A good rule of thumb would be a requirement of 10 to 15 hours per week.

—

-

84

CHECKPOINTS, SEPTEMBER 2008

Theodore J. Stumm, ’60 Theodore Joseph Stumm, 69, of Jacksonville, Fla., died on May 25, 2008 at Mayo Clinic Medical Center after an extensive battle with can-

complications resulting from pneumonia. Ted was born Dec. 5, 1938, a native of Batavia, Ill., the son of the late Joseph J. and Kathleen (Esser) Stumm Stevens. He was also preceded in death by his stepfather, Elmer A. Stevens. He graduated from Batavia High School in 1956, and received a Congressional appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. cer and

Ted served 29 years in the USAF after graduating from the Air Force

Academy in 1960, retiring with the rank of Colonel. He was a command

pilot in the Military Airlift Command and during his career flew the C-135, C-123, and C-5A aircraft. His last command was as the Base Com-

mander of Pope AFB, N.C., from 1984 to 1986.

His Vietnam service in-

eluded over 1,000 combat missions

Gregory W. Halley, ’63 Gregory Wayne Halley passed away at home in Richland, Ore. on July 10, 2008, surrounded by his family. Greg’s battle with melanoma cancer over the last one and a half years was fierce, but finally took its toll. A celebration of Greg’s life was held July 13 at the New Bridge Grange Hall. Gordon Bond of the Richland Christian Church officiated the service.

Greg was born in Bend, Ore. to Ronald Lloyd and Grace Margret (Jones) Halley on April 6,1939. When Greg was four, his family returned to Richland, where his parents were originally from. Spending his youth in Eagle Valley, Greg loved hunting, camping, trapping, 4H and enjoying all the social activities of the New Bridge Grange until his graduation from Eagle Valley High School.

Greg continued his education, graduating from the Air Force Academy Class of 1963.

flying the C-123. From 1979 through 1981, Ted served as the chief negotiator for the United States and

helped secure the current defense Ted Stumm

treaty between the United States

and Turkey. His many military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star.

Ted earned a Doctorate Degree in Public Administration in 1994, and a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering in 1972 from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. In 2007, he retired after 13 years with the University of North Florida where he had last served as chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. In addition, he was the former Director of the Master’s of Public Administration Program at UNF and was an Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration.

An Eagle Scout in his 60th year of service to the Boy Scouts of

America, he was currently an Assistant District Commissioner for the Shawnee district of the North Florida Council. He was especially proud that his sons are also Eagle Scouts and that his grandsons have

begun their own careers in Scouting. He was a Vigil member (highest level) of the Order of the Arrow, an honor society within the Boy Scouts dedicated to the service of others.

He is survived by his son Randall Stumm of San Antonio, Texas; his and daughter-in-law, James and Tiffany Stumm of Lubbock, Texas; his former wife, Dona M. Stumm of Jacksonville, Fla.; and his son

four grandchildren: Brandon and Daniella Stumm (Randall); and Jacob and Cason Stumm (James). He is also survived by his sister

and brother-in-law, Sarah and Tom Burke of Saint Charles, Ill.; and his three nephews, Philip, David and Chris Burke. Ted Stumm will be

missed greatly by his family, many friends and professional acquaintances, and hundreds of largemouth bass throughout America that will now, sadly, remain uncaught.

The family wishes to honor his years of service to his country and community, and his dedication to teaching by requesting that gifts, in lieu of flowers, be made in memory of Theodore Stumm either to

the Boy Scouts of America, North Florida Council; the Scholarship Fund of the Jacksonville AFA Falcon Chapter #399; or sent to the Uni-

versity of North Florida Foundation designated to the Ted Stumm Memorial Scholarship at UNF, 1 UNF Drive, Suite 51/3301, Jacksonville, FL, 32224-2664.

A memorial mass was held on June 21, 2008 at St. Paul's Catholic

Church in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. with Father William Kelly officiat-

ing. Interment will be at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs at a later date. (Randy Stumm, Ted’s son)

He was commissioned in the

Air Force, serving as a pilot at various

duty stations within the United States and two tours of duty in Vietnam. Greg resigned his commission as a Captain in 1969 with honors, receiving various medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Entering the civilian work force, Greg Greg Halley used his pilot skills to obtain employment with several companies, first working as a rainmaker, seeding clouds for Weather Science in Norman, Okla. Randall Sharpe Construetion, which was looking for a pilot with engineering skills, was Greg’s next step in his civilian career.

Since his time with Randall, construe-

tion and industrial engineering jobs had been his main focus.

From 1973, Greg’s career took him to Morrison-Knudsen out of Boise,

Greg traveled North America from Alaska to Mexico, working various projects until 1992. Settling back to the ranch life in Richland for several years, Greg enjoyed his time back in Eagle Valley. In 1994, construction-engineering jobs took him to California and New Mexico with Flatiron Construction. Greg finished his career in 2000, after building freeways in the fast-growing Southwest for Flatiron. He then retired and returned to Richland to the things he enjoyed most.

He enjoyed many days with his animals and helped his younger brother’s business with day rides in the mountains, which he loved.

Greg is survived by his wife, June; sons Dirk Preston of Gardnerville, Idaho.

Nev., Bret Howard and wife, Marion (Mimi), of Phoenix, Ariz., and Shane Christopher and wife, Lee Anne, of Puyallup, Wash.; grandchildren Andrew Austin of Phoenix, Jacob Ronald of Phoenix, and Joshua Shane of Puyallup; brother and sister-in-law Mark Preston Halley and Gail, of Bend, Ore.; uncle Richard Halley of Portland, Ore; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews; Dancer (Greg’s horse) and Sarah (beloved donkey).

He was preceded in death by his parents and older brother, Ron

Halley, Jr. Memorial donations may be made to either Pathway Hospice, Eagle Valley Ambulance EMTs or the New Bridge Grange through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, Ore. 97834.

(Excerpted from a local newspaper.)

For more current information about

graduate deaths, please visit the AOG web site. www.usafa.org 85

Richard A. Benson, ’65

Peter F. Fazio, ’65

Richard A. Benson, age 65, died on June 8, 2008 in Presbyterian

Hospital after a brief two-week struggle with an extremely aggres-

Ret. Lt. Col. Peter F. Fazio, 66, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2008 in Lafayette, La. with his family at his bedside.

sive cancer. His terrific sense of humor was intact until the end and

Peter is survived by his wife of 42 years, Diane (Downey) Fazio; two

he was surrounded by family and friends, including air force class-

daughters, Toni (Fazio) Gonsoulin and Andrea (Fazio) Miller; two sonsin-law, Shannon Gonsoulin and Ramsey Miller; and five grandchildren, Taylor Gonsoulin, John Gonsoulin, Anna Gonsoulin, Joshua Gonsoulin, and Abigail Miller.

mates, Jim “Grub” Soulek and Herb Campbell.

Dick was born September 19, 1942 in Tucumcari, N.M. to George Morris Benson and Pauline Mildred

(Wilson) Benson.

An avid

sports-

Peter was born in Joliet, Ill. and

recruited by the Uni-

graduated from Joliet Central High

versity of New Mexico to play foot-

School. He was then selected to at-

ball for the Lobos and was one of the

tend the United States Air Force

first to use the new football stadium.

Academy in Colorado Springs where he graduated with honors. Early in his military career, Peter honored his country by courageously serving two

man, he

was

He left UNM in 1961 to join the Air

Force Academy Class of ’65 where he

lovingly known as “Whale”. During that time he forged life-long friendships with many of his fellow

was

cadets.

He was an electronic warfare officer

He served ten years active

in B-52 warplanes and was among the

Much of that time he was sta-

first group of soldiers to cross enemy

tioned in Izmir, Turkey and Washing-

lines to ultimately end the Vietnam

duty.

ton D.C.

He loved to entertain fam-

ily and friends with stories of his time in Turkey many of which grew more -

Dick Benson

and a half years in the Vietnam War.

elaborate

over

the years.

Dick’s

motto was “never let the truth get in the way of a good story” and it

became fondly known in the family as the BEF (Benson Exaggeration Factor).

Following his military career he accepted a position with the Department of Energy in Washington D.C. where he was able to pursue his life-long passion for renewal energy. He worked on many projects including the Advanced Nuclear Reactor, Strategic Petroleum Reserves and Solar, Geothermal, and Energy Storage Programs. In 1983 he joined Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico where he created and managed R & D programs in hazardous and toxic waste technology, biotechnology, magneteoncephalography, and biomass alternative fuels. Prior to retirement from the LANL in 2006 he was a

key player in geothermal energy research and helped form the Big Sky partnership for Carbon Sequestration.

A typical TYPE A, Dick could not really retire so he didn't. Until his death he served as Senior Vice President of Energy and National Security Programs for Applied Science Laboratory, Inc., located in Albuquerque and started his own company, Choctaw Tech. Of all his many accomplishments, the awards, the positions of power and responsibilities, the groundbreaking technologies he helped make possible Dick felt his real achievements were the lives he was able to impact. During his career he took the most pleasure in mentoring -

brilliant young scientists and business men and women

War. Peter also received two master’s

degrees during his military career.

The first, from USC, in Systems Management and the second, from the Air Force Institute of Technology, in Logistics Management. Both degrees held a 4.0 grade point average. During this time, Peter also completed a master’s thesis that was eventually published and put into action by the United States Air Peter Fazio

Force.

Among his many posts while in the Air Force, Peter was an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies at USC where upon reassignment The Faz Award was created to honor and recognize his unmatched hard work and respect of his subordinates. Eventually Peter received his final military assignment at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. where he was a Deputy Commander in the Research and Development department. It was here where a brain tumor was found and Peter was diagnosed with brain cancer, thus ending his career of 20 years.

After receiving superior medical treatment at Bethesda Hospital in

Maryland, Peter and his wife decided to relocate to Pineville, La. to raise their young daughters. After his daughters had completed their college careers and began to start families of their own, Peter and Diane decided to move to New Iberia, La. to be closer to their grandchildren.

Peter received many awards during his lifetime including: Distin-

guished Flyers Cross with one oak leaf cluster, Meritorious service medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air medal with three silver and one

many who He loved helping creative, brilliant

bronze oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation medal with one oak

people achieve their potential. He was most proud of the many he helped to mentor and their considerable achievements.

Dick also forged close friendships with his colleagues. A Scien-

ters, CMBT Readiness medal, National Defense Service medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary medal, Vietnam Service medal with one silver

tist, Joel Brown wrote: “1 have never encountered a more innova-

oak leaf clusters, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship ribbon, Republic

tive and creative person. Dick really believed there was a solution

of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm, and the Republic of Vietnam

to humanity’s most difficult problems and he had a role to

Campaign medal. He belonged to several elite organizations including being a VFW Lifetime Member, Reserve Officers Association Lifetime Member, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society of North America, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Sigma Iota Epsilon and the Honorary Management Fraternity.

became like surrogate kids.

that solution. all the answers

-

play in

He was never naive enough to believe that he had

only that he had a part to play. He did whatever it took. But most of all he was a friend a very good friend”. Dick’s Dad always said that if you could count your good friends on one hand you were lucky.

Dick was richly blessed with family and many close friends from various walks of life. He is survived by his wife, Kerry; his three son’s Steven, Arik and Mark; five grandchildren; three siblings and his mother, Pauline Peters. (Kerry Benson, Dick's wife) -

-

86

leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit award with three oak leaf clus-

oak leaf cluster, Air Force Longevity Service award ribbon with four

Peter has made the honorable decision to donate his body to

medical science; therefore a mass and memorial gathering was

planned. Friends and family may contact Peter’s family for detailed information at rariel01@yahoo.com. (Andrea Miller, Peter’s daughter)

Kenneth V. Funkhouser, ’66

Douglas S. Hawkins, ’67

Colonel Kenneth V. Funkhouser, Class of 1966, passed away in June

It is with great sadness we announce that Col. Douglas S. Hawkins

2008 in Avon Lake, Ohio. He was born in New Castle, Pa. on Dec. 17th

passed away on Apr. 21, 2008. Doug was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2007, and he bravely struggled against the disease until he finally succumbed with his wife, Nancy, and three children, Scott, Keith, and Emily at his side. He was the rock in his family’s life and will be sorely missed.

Doug was born in Charlottesville, Va. on June 30, 1945 to Forrest and Myra Hawkins. He grew up in rural Virginia dreaming of someday flying airplanes. After graduating valedictorian from Madison County High School he attended the Air Force Academy (CS-11). During his tenure he was fortunate to meet the love of his life, Nancy Apian. After graduation the two were married in

1944. His birth coincided with the 41st Anniversary of the Wright Brothers

historic flight at Kitty Hawk, a seemingly unrelated event that

ultimately would shape his future.

On a Sunday in his early childhood, Ken and a neighborhood friend took money from their sav-

ings and hiked two miles to the local airport. They found a pilot who agreed to take them for a ride over their hometown.

rumble of the

Once he felt the

engine

and

rose

her hometown of Portland, Ore. and

through the clouds Ken knew that his fate was sealed—he would be a

began life together at Webb AFB, Texas for pilot training. It was during

His wife, Chris, said that he

this time that Scott was born. After

pilot.

was one of the

Ken Funkhouser

lucky ones—a person who realized his life’s calling at an early age.

Originally selected to attend the United Sates Naval Academy, fate

completing F-100 training Doug served a year of duty at Tuy Hoa, Vietnam. Upon returning to the

intervened when he was offered a

S.C. His second son, Keith, was born

States he was selected to be in the

initial A-7 squadron at Myrtle Beach,

slot as an alternate to the Air Force Academy in 1962. After graduation

at this time.

in 1966, he completed UPT and was assigned to his career long part-

the A-7 Operational Test & Evalua-

ner

in flight-- the F-4 Phantom.

After a successful tour in Udorn,

He then helped create

tion team as a test pilot at Nellis AFB,

Thailand, he was later selected to command the 57th FIS at Keflavik Naval Station, Iceland; and as Commander of the 26th RECON Wing

Nev.

at Zweibrucken AB, Germany, he and his Phantom were one again!

playing tennis, tooling around in his convertible, searching for a great Greek festival, taking a boating safety course, or entertaining family and friends—life was good, and way too short.

In his sympathy note to Chris, Mike Rhynard, a fellow 3rd Squadron member from the Class of ’66, offered that “Ken’s always had a special place in my ‘feelings bank’ because he WAS who he appeared

change with the Navy at China Lake NAS, Calif. After attending ACSC he was stationed at the Pentagon in the Fighter Plans & Analysis Division. His daughter Emily was born during this time. Doug was then selected for another exchange tour; this time to attend the Royal Air War College in Cranwell, England. Following this it was off to Heidelberg, Germany at the NATO headquarters for the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force. Doug was then assigned to the USAF Air War College at Maxwell, AFB as an instructor. Next he was assigned to HQ TAC at Langley AFB, Va. as Director of the Joint Studies Group. It was at this time that he helped with the planning of Operation Desert Shield/ Storm air campaign at the Checkmate planning cell in the Pentagon.

Then it was off to Europe again to Brunssum, The Netherlands to be Chief of Nuclear Ops for the Northern NATO headquarters. His final assignment took him to Hurlburt Field AFB, Fla. where he retired as the 505th Command & Control Evaluation Group Commander. It was Doug’s life dream to serve his country in the Air Force, and he did so with great competence and integrity.

After retirement Doug and Nancy moved to Portland, Ore. to be near her mother. In addition to being a family man and patriot, Doug was

to be.

also a devout man of faith.

Throughout his 28 year career, his numerous awards included two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Meritorious Service Medals, the Air Medal with three silver clusters, the Distin-

guished Presidential Unit Citation, six Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, the Vietnam Service Medal with four clusters and the Republie of Vietnam Gallantry Cross. He served in support of DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM from August 1990 through August 1991.

His last assignment in the service of his country was as the Defense Air Attache in Ottawa, Canada. Ken also found a rewarding career at

Concurrent Technology Corporation in Johnstown, Pa. from 19992007 as manager for software engineering and mentor to many of the

young staff there.

After his dedicated career, Ken loved retirement. Whether reading,

When we were cadets, we were at the age of “who’s cool” and

He continued as a test pilot on ex-

Doug Hawkins

He volunteered untold hours at the West

“who’s in” and “who’s out.” Ken was ALWAYS Ken—a solid rock of con-

Linn Lutheran Church, especially in the church library.

sistency and integrity.

loved books and learning and continued this throughout his life. He

People like Ken are rare, and that’s why it’s such a loss that he’s gone.”

Colonel Funkhouser is survived by his wife, Chris; son Todd, daughter Lauren, her husband Chris Joseph and grandson Jackson Joseph.

Family, friends, his fellow warriors, and a grateful nation will salute a dedicated husband, father, and fighter pilot as Colonel Funkhouser is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on September the 2nd, 2008. (Lt. Col.

[USAF, Ret] Howard Funkhouser, Ken's brother)

For more current information about

graduate deaths, please visit the AOG web site. www.usafa.org.

Doug always

loved to travel and visit new places, and he experienced great joy

spending time with his three granddaughters, Hadyn, Caroline, and Samantha.

He was always there for his family with a helping hand and word of

encouragement, and so it was extremely difficult for his family know-

ing that his cancer treatments had reached the limits of medical knowhow. Even still, Doug forged ahead with great fortitude and a positive attitude. While he may not be here in body, he is still with us in spirit, still watching over us.

A memorial service was held on Apr. 26, 2008, at West Linn Lutheran Church in West Linn, Ore. The family invites anyone to make donations to cancer research at the Lance Armstrong LiveStrong Foundation at www.livestrong.org. (Maj. Keith Hawkins, USAF) 87

for the mountains of Colorado where he graduated from the Air Force

Milton P. KudlaCy’69 Milton "Sandy" Kudlac passed away suddenly on March 9, 2007 of a

ruptured aortic aneurysm.

He is survived by his wife, Drenda, of

Parker, Colo, and his son Marc, a helicopter pilot working with the

Army National Guard.

Sandy was born Dec. 2, 1945 in Johnson City/Binghamton, N.Y. and attended high school there. He graduated in January 1965 second in On the football and track

his class.

Academy in 1970 with a BS in International Affairs. He later earned a MS in Logistics Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, in 1977.

Colonel Tom Distelhorst had a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force. He was a command pilot on the C-141 Starlifter, a respected leader, and superb logistician. He attended pilot training at Reese AFB, Texas, and then transitioned to Norton AFB, Calif., as a C141 pilot with the 15th Military Airlift Squadron.

teams, he was not just a superb ath-

then took him to Wright Patterson AFB; Sheppard AFB, Texas; Ander-

lete, but he also epitomized a true sportsman by having a positive atti-

son AFB,

Guam; Travis AFB, Calif.; Norfolk, Va.; McGuire AFB, N.J.

this point with five children in tow

--

--

at

and then to Ramstein AFB, Ger-

many, where he commanded the 608th Aerial Port Squadron from

tude and inspiring his teammates with words of encouragement to always give 100 percent. Sandy also participated in gymnastics and

1987-1990.

played and sang in a band while in high school and at the Academy.

Upon graduating from USAFA in June 1969, Sandy attended various flight schools associated with the C-

dustrial

1990, after which he was assigned to the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. In 1993, he moved to Kirtland AFB and

He ended up in the

served as Chief of Nuclear Weapons

62nd Tactical Airlift Squadron at Little

Systems Programs and Evaluation Division, and was reassigned in

130 program.

Tom was chosen to attend the In-

participate in various rotations to Europe and South America. During the off time, he enjoyed the outdoor life of hunting, fishing, and exploring Arkansas. Eventually he was reassigned to the 21st TAW at CCK in Taiwan in 1972 and subsequently to Clark in the Philippines, supporting airlift throughout Southeast Asia. He was reassigned back to Little Rock in 1975. Sandy worked in the 62 TAS Stan Eval and performed flight training and pilot check rides. In tandem, he studied and received his Master’s Degree from the University of Utah in 1976.

In 1978, Sandy resigned his active duty commission and was hired

by Trans International Airlines based out of Indianapolis. After six months of commuting from Little Rock, he was hired by the original Frontier Airlines and subsequently moved to Denver. In January 1987, he was hired by Continental Airlines flying the MD-80, DC-10, and retiring in the 737 on November 23, 2005.

Sandy had joined the Air Force Reserves serving at Warren AFB in Cheyenne, Wyo. flying C-130s during the problematic days of the airlines in the early 1980s. From December 1985 to April 1992, he distinguished himself as Exercise Plans and Air Operations Staff Officer, Directorate of Operations, JE, United States Southern Command. During this period his outstanding professional skill, leadership and ceaseless efforts contributed immeasurably to the accomplishment of the United States’ national objectives in Latin America. Sandy had loved

College

of the Armed

Forces, Fort McNair, Wash. D.C. in

Rock, Ark. in 1970. His principal duty

Sandy Kudlac

His Air Force career

1997 to Scott AFB, Ill.

was to

His decora-

tions include the Defense Meritorious

Service Medal and the Republic

of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Tom Distelhorst

Fol-

lowing retirement in 2000, he began a second career as a Commercial Air

Carrier Evaluator for DOD, Scott AFB, Ill.

--

a

job which found him

back in the cockpit.

Even more impressive than his military career were his genuine

kindness, superb intelligence, integrity, humility, love of family, and faith in God. Tom taught his children to love God, family, country, and baseball. Tom was a devoted Cardinals fan and considered baseball the only heavenly sport. Tom also immersed himself in the American West

--

the land, the music, and the stories. He excelled at trivia and

New York Times Crosswords.

His superb logistical skills carried over

into his family, and he became an expert at packing luggage for fam-

ily vacations.

Tom married Dana Jean Wursten on June 25, 1981, in Salt Lake City,

Utah.

He was a faithful son, brother, husband, father, friend and

devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Tom departed this world at peace with his life and with God. Tom is preceded in death by his father, Milton Distelhorst, and re-

and acquired active duty days until his Reserve retirement.

cently, his mother, Phyllis Distelhorst. He is survived by his sweetheart and loving wife, Dana (nee Wursten) Distelhorst; two siblings: Ann Distelhorst of Burlington, Iowa; and David Distelhorst of St. Louis,

Sandy Kudlac had an appreciation for what matters most in life. He was a man of strong principles, a dry sense of humor, and was a loyal friend. Probably best described as a quiet guy, he mulled over every word someone said before he responded he gave a lot of thought to

Mo.; his five children: Mary Kool of Sacramento, Calif.; Cpt. John Distelhorst (USAFA Class of ’02) of Evans, Ga.; Amy Walker of Oklahoma City, Okla.; PFC Mark Distelhorst of Rexburg, Idaho; and Kathryn Distelhorst of Provo, Utah; five grandchildren, and other

what he said and what he felt. He had a great love for his country and

extended family members.

his time at the USAFA so returned as a Liaison Officer for many years

—

Although his last flight has been taken, his smile will never fade. (Drenda Kudlac, Sandy’s wife)

his family.

Thomas E. Distelhorst/70

Funeral services were held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-

Day Saints in O’Fallon, Ill. Tom was buried at the U.S. Air Force Academy surrounded by loving family and friends. "...Until we meet again.” (Kathryn A. Distelhorst, Tom’s youngest daughter)

Stetson R. Cowan, ’71

Thomas Edward Distelhorst, age 56, of O’Fallon, Ill., passed away

unexpectedly on June 17, 2005, following heart-bypass surgery. Born Oct. 15, 1948, to Phyllis and Milton Distelhorst, Tom spent his childhood years on the family farm near Burlington, Iowa. He dreamed from a young age of becoming a pilot. Tom graduated valedictorian from Mediapolis High School in 1966 and left the farmlands of Iowa 88

Colonel Stetson R. Cowan, 59, of Mesa, Ariz., took his last flight Sun-

day, July 6, 2008.

He was born on Dec. 16, 1948 in Eastland, Texas, to

William Kenneth Cowan and Eleanor Rowles Cowan.

Cowan gradu-

ated from Colorado City High School in Colorado City, Texas in 1967.

He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs,

Colo., in 1971.

He went on to pilot training at Vance AFB in Enid, Okla., then

Terry is also survived by his parents, Brig Gen (Ret) Herbert and Dianne Bench; and fellow Air Force Academy graduates, brothers Scott, Tim and Kevin Bench.

Ferry was a graduate of the USAFA

Randolph AFB, Texas, for pilot instructor training. He flew T-38s and other fixed-wing aircraft until he decided helicopters were more fun.

Other assignments included: Hurlburt Field, Fla., Howard AFB,

Class of 1972, member of the Air Force Academy Golf Team, a retired

Delta Captain and an avid golfer his

Panama, and Kirtland AFB, N. M. He was then chosen to attend the U.S. Navy's Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md., then on to

entire life, holding the long-stand-

ing record of Club Champion at the Country Club of Coral Springs. He

Edwards AFB where he flew many experimental aircraft and then

taught at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot

six-time winner in the

was

Master's Degree from Golden Gate

championship flight of the Delta Golf Open. Terry was always known for his golfing abilities, his challenge towards others to "do the right thing", genuine good nature, compassion and always a crowd pleaser.

Whenever anyone speaks or refers to "Terry Bench", it is not without a smile or a story to tell. He was truly Terry Bench one of a kind and a special guy to everyone. A tribute to celebrate Terry's life was held April 19 and 20 near his home in Florida and attended by over 450 friends, family

University, and became a member of The Society of Experimental Test Pilots. (SETP).

In 1989, he became the Com-

mander of the 6514th Test Squadron at Hill AFB, near Ogden, Utah. His last

Air Force assignment was WrightPatterson AFB, in Dayton, Ohio.

Af-

ter two years of Ohio weather, he was

thrilled to be offered a job at The

Boeing Company, Mesa, where he was the happiest as a Test Pilot for the Apache Helicopter. He also worked on the unmanned X-50A Dragonfly, Stetson Cowan and then as a Systems Safety Engineer. Throughout his fight with cancer, he continued to work at Boeing until the very end.

also

School. While there, he received his

Colonel Cowan was a member of the Order of

Daedalians, Flight 82, Mesa.

He was happiest around helicopters, airplanes, a golf course, fam-

and coworkers. To honor Terry, a memorial marble 'bench' near the AOG has been named and a veteran’s memorial marker has been

placed at the Academy Cemetery with his pilot wings.

Terry was known and loved by many and will be dearly missed by all. Terry may have flown many times before, but no flight he piloted can be compared to the flight he is on now or the view he has. He will remain forever as our 'Spirit in the Sky'. (Col. Roger Parsons [USAFR, Ret] and Lt. Gen. Chuck Johnson fUSAF, Ret], both USAFA Class of1972)

ily and all his best buddies.

Cowan is survived by his wife of almost 19 years, Major Tess Taft Cowan,(USAF, Ret); their niece, Theresa Bennett; his sister Alexis McRoberts; brother-in-law Roger McRoberts, and nephews Dr. Lowell McRoberts and Colin McRoberts. Also, Betty Cowan, sister-in-law, and nephews Will Cowan and Kevin Cowan.

He is also survived by

many cousins, including brother-like Dr Seth Cowan and Roy Chandler. He is also survived by his father-in-law, Bill Taft, of Clinton, Conn.; sisters-in-law Valerie Harris, Debbie Seagraves, and Diana Taft;

nephew Marty Seagraves; nieces Cathy, Rosie and Angela Edmonds,

a

John M. Garrard, ’73 John Manning Garrard arrived at USAFA in the Class of '73 on June

Assigned to 31st Sq. ‘‘Grim Reapers,” he started BCT in “Hellcat” Squadron. Classmate Howard Mitchell recalls, "I was John's first roommate during Basic Cadet Training and we shared many ‘sperial’ moments together! We studied our Contrails together and helped each other cope with the incredible changes that were occurring in our lives. I came to know John as a man of integrity, dedication to God and Country, and a loving husband and proud father I will miss 23, 1969.

--

and all their children.

Many other cousins and friends all over the world loved Stetson. He is a role model to many. In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by his brother, Bill Cowan. The family would appreciate donations to Cowan's favorite church, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Mesa, where he served as the Senior Warden. Bunker Mortuary handled the eremation, and services were held July 12, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, in Mesa. Military friends wore their uniforms, and others wore red or blue, for Military Honors.

He fought pancreatic/liver/stomach cancer for more than six years and never complained. Colonel Cowan died at home, under the care of Hospice of the Valley and his family. Rest eternal grant to him, and let light perpetual shine upon him. (Col. Stetson Cowan's wife and niece: Tess Cowan and Theresa Bennett)

Terence R. Bench, ’72 Terry Riddick Bench, at the young age of 57, passed away peace-

fully March 29, 2008, following a brave and courageous battle with

kidney cancer.

He is survived by his loving wife Denise and his two incredible young

boys, Danny and David, whom he loved deeply and were at the young ages of 14 and 12 when their father became ill. They were very proud of their dad, and along with Denise, were by his side throughout his illness.

him." Classmate Sherm Nelson recalls, “I roomed with John for awhile at the Academy and have told many people stories

over

the years

about John and some of the funny experiences we shared there. John loved North Carolina, and he knew even then that he would return there when he completed his Air Force service.” Fellow Grim Reapers

learned of John’s illness in October 2007. In November, eight squadron mates gathered at John’s North Carolina home to share memories with him and his family. Even after 38 years since those early days of “Hellcat” and 31st Sq., the camaraderie was as strong as ever.

John’s USAF career included flying assignments in SAC, ATC, and MAC. He retired from the 89th MAW, Andrews AFB in 1993. He returned to North Carolina and was a B-737 Captain with ATA Airlines.

John’s illness first struck in flight Sept. 5, 2004, requiring his First Offleer to safely land the airplane “solo.” Soon after, John advised his brother Ed (USAFA ’69), “Tell every pilot you meet, they better know their ‘stuff’ because they never know what might happen. a

Today is

gift and tomorrow is not promised.”

For more current information about

graduate deaths, please visit the AOG web site. www.usafa.org.

89

With heroic help from wife, Ann, and family, John struggled valiantly with brain cancer for three and a half years until April 9, 2008.

John’s teenage children expressed their sentiments in poignant poems. Son John wrote, “John M. Garrard was known better as Dad to me.

He was my father, my mentor, my hero. I’ll most definitely miss him but, more importantly, I’ll re-

The memorial service was held in Ipswich, South Dakota, where Herbie Jo was laid to rest alongside his father.

Herbie Jo will forever be emblazoned in the hearts and minds of his friends and loved ones as a bold, dynamic individual with an irresistible zest for life and love for every adventure that life can hold. He will be missed... (Owen ‘Opie Jo’ Dwire, a good friend)

Steven E. Struck, ’86

member. Every time 1 apply one of the hundreds of skills I learned in

Scouts, I’ll remember. I’ll remember the sums of time I spent as a child with my face plastered to the win-

Steven Edward Struck, age 44, passed away suddenly at his home in Foothill Ranch, Calif, on May 7, 2008. He was born Feb. 14, 1964 in

Chicago, Ill. to the late Louis Andrew and Donna Mae Struck (nee

dow in anticipation of his return

Loving husband and best friend to

from work. I would stand in anxiety

Patricia Ann (nee Loftus) for 20 years.

awaiting a huge bear hug as he walked in the door. Every time I run into hardship I’ll remember the fight he went through and rememher his courage. I won’t ever forget

Brother to Glenn David Struck. Son-inlaw of Michael and Maureen Loftus.

Brother-in-law to Cathy (Dave) Otis, Jean (Pat) Lynch and Claire (Gregg) Ratkovic who will miss him greatly. Cher-

my motivator, my influence, my one

John Garrard

ished uncle to 13 nephews and nieces

and only father.”

who loved him deeply.

Daughter Elizabeth wrote, “I’ve always been Daddy’s Little Girl, and I always will be. Many things

Steve was a graduate of N :>tre Dame

High school, class of 1982. He went on to the United States Air Force Academy graduating as a Second Lieutenant in

remind me of his presence: the smell of new books and their pages of

history, tobacco smoke and coffee with whiskey, vanilla ice cream, and an ice cold Pepsi. I’ll always remember dancing with my feet on top of his big black shoes to James Taylor, Doc Watson, and even some blues. I always remember his dignity, and grace, and love. He loved his family, and always showed it. He loved his history, and always told it. He made me appreciate life through walks in the forest, and to say my prayers when life grew hardest. I’ll be Daddy’s Little Girl until I’m old and gray, and I know I’ll see him in heaven one day” As a USAF honor guard saluted, we all wished John well, on what his pastor described as John’s “final flight home.” And so we remember Godspeed and tail winds. (Squadron mates Tom Kennedy you, John --

and Bud Gammon, '73; Ed Garrard, ’69)

On March 22, 2008, we lost a Great American... Herbie Jo Crissman.

Herbie Jo graduated in the Class of ’78 and served in the USAF as an Instructor Electronic Warfare Officer in the McDonnell-Douglas F-4G

He served several assignments in the United States as well as in the Philippines

and Germany.

Herbie Jo enjoyed

coaching his sons’ soccer teams, flying sailplanes, camping with his family, and cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs. Always able to see the best in every situation and within every individual, Herbie Jo was a great cadet, a great officer, and a

great friend.

Herbie Jo (51) died at his home in

Tucson, Ariz. following a long illness.

He is survived by his wife, Vicki, of

Apple Valley, Calif., and his two sons, Justin and Jeff.

He is also survived

by his mother, Marian (Bob) Gilbert; five siblings and their families: Herb Crissman Lynette (Mike) Christensen of Littleton Colo.; Bruce Crissman of Irvine Calif.; Craig (Michele, Tyler and Alison) Crissman of Sioux Falls, S.D.; Blaine (Mary, Cole and Chloe) Crissman of Kenilworth, Ill.; and Beth (Rod) Collett of Richmond, Texas.

Force on active duty for 13 years, a proud veteran of Desert Storm.

Steve Struck

After Steve left the Academy he went to Williams AFB

for pilot training.

He

spent one year there and moved onto flying KC-135s at Minot, N.D. He arrived at Minot in September of 1987 and flourished in his career

there.

He was in Training Flight and Stan Eval.

After two years in Minot, he was next assigned to March AFB in Sep-

tember 1989.

There he began flying KC-lOs.

He served in Desert

Storm and ran missions into Somalia, leaving active duty in March

Herbert K. Crissman,’78

Wild Weasel aircraft.

1986. He served in the United States Air

Herbie Jo was preceded in death by his father Herbert.

1994 but continuing to serve his country through the Reserves.

He

part of the 79th Air Refueling Squadron. Steve was proud to be an American and even prouder to serve his country. was

Steve was employed by United Airlines as a pilot for the last 13 years.

Just recently he fulfilled his dream of becoming Captain.

Steve loved his country, his family and friends and anything Chicago. He touched so many lives that will forever be better for knowing him. He truly was a special man. (Excerpted from the Chicago Tribune

newspaper with additions from Patricia Struck, his wife.)

Martin H. Nelson, ’87 Lt. Col. Martin H. Nelson USAF (Ret), beloved husband of Tina

Nelson, passed away on Junel4th, 2008 from complications of cancer.

He was laid to rest at the Air Force Academy.

Marty was born in St. Louis, Mo. on July 11th 1963 as the sixth of eight children belonging to Ray and Marilyn Nelson. Marty’s family settled in Rockford, Ill. where he graduated from Thomas Jefferson

High School in 1981. Though a life-long Chicago Cub’s fan, Marty decided to leave Rockford behind and serve his country by enlisting in the Air Force. After six weeks of “Boot Camp” at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas, Airman Nelson made his first stop in Colorado where at Lowry AFB in Denver he entered Tech School for

training as a Video

Systems Specialist. Marty was then assigned to Hill AFB, Utah and worked hard to receive an appointment to the US Air Force Academy.

Cadet Nelson entered the Academy in 1983 and during the course of the next four years learned about leadership, earned a degree in Human Factors Engineering and met a University of Wyoming student named Tina Carwin before graduating in 1987.

Newly commissioned Lieutenant Nelson was then sent to Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese, AFB, Texas. While there, he married the love of his life, Tina, and with her began his dream of being an Air Force officer and pilot. During his career, Marty would fly five different aircraft and be stationed across the country.

Fla. He graduated from Air Academy High School in 2000 with High Honors and the Air Force Academy in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science

in Aeronautical Engineering. a

Upon graduation he was commissioned

Second Lieutenant on May 26, 2006.

John’s time spent at the Academy was dear to him, and his friends

He began flying Tankers at Carswell AFB, Texas and later at Minot

became “brothers.” At the memorial and funeral service many hu-

AFB, N.D. in the KC-135A, Q, and R models. During this time Marty

morous stories were shared about their

blessed with the birth of his first

adventures, including a trip around the

was

daughter, Kayla.

In 1994

Captain

world. He had an infectious smile that

Nelson was honored to be chosen as

drew people to him.

Initial Cadre to bring on-line Air Edu-

John was accomplished athletically

cation and Training Commands new-

and was a NCAA Division IA wrestler at

the T’-IA Jayhawk.

He

the Air Force Academy. Besides wres-

moved his family to Vance AFB, Okla.

tling, John loved skiing, soccer, rugby, scuba diving, climbing, biking, and was just developing a passion for golf. Fascinated by wildlife, John found solace in

est jet trainer,

where he was blessed with the birth of his second daughter, Hannah.

In

1998, now-Major Nelson was hand

Marty Nelson

picked by Air Mobility Command’s highly selective Phoenix Horizon Crossflow Board to fly the C-17A Globemaster III. Marty was reassigned to Charleston AFB, S.C. and during his tour he was once again blessed with a daughter, Emma. In 2001 Major Nelson moved his family

nature and never missed an opportu-

nity to go camping, hiking, or mountain climbing. He was also an Eagle Scout.

John was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

John Alley knew him.

Saints.

His love for the Savior and the

Gospel were inspirational to all who A highlight of his life was serving as a missionary for the

back into AETC at Randolph AFB, Texas where he became the instruc-

Church in the Venezuela-Barcelona Mission from 2002 to 2004. It was

tor for the instructors of the T-1A Jayhawk in the Pilot Instructor Train-

well known that in the months preceding his death he did not have a

ing program. During this period Marty was blessed with his fourth daughter, Mia. While serving as Chief of Safety for the 12th FTW, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 2003. He was selected to return to the Air Force Academy in 2004 serving as an instructor, Director of Fitness Testing & Evaluation, and Assistant Baseball Coach.

After retirement in 2006 Marty followed another dream: buying and operating a business in Winter Park, Colo. Shortly after selling his business Marty was diagnosed with advanced cancer. Despite all the love of his family, prayers of his friends, and courage of his soul, his battle ended tragically at a local hospital on June 14, 2008 with his loving wife, Tina, by his side.

In addition to Marty’s many professional accomplishments, he was a mentor and witness to many, including sponsoring numerous cadets. He exhibited a standard of faith and morality to anyone who knew him. We will miss Marty’s humor, dedication to family and

free Saturday to himself, regardless of the rigors of training, because

friends, devotion to his wife, his children and his love for Jesus. We all know Marty’s example, love, and faith will live on with us in our hearts lifting us each up to a better place. (Frank Self, ’87)

John H. Alley, ’06 United States Air Force First Lieutenant John Harold Alley, 26, re-

turned home to his loving Heavenly Father on May 24, 2008, in

Pensacola, Fla. He was stationed at NAS Whiting Field in Milton, Fla. where he was in pilot training. John was passionate about flying and felt very blessed to be living his childhood dream. He often commented that he did not care what plane he flew, just so long as he was flying!

John was born in the Azores, Portugal to Lt Col (Ret) W. David and Eva J. (Poljanec) Alley on March 28,1982 at Lajes Air Field. He lived in various places throughout the world including Columbus, Ohio;

Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio; The Air Force Academy, Colo.; Misawa Air Base, Japan; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Bountiful, Utah; and Milton,

For more current information about

graduate deaths, please visit the AOG web site. www.usafa.org.

he was always helping others, whether it be moving, repairing a roof, or

catching loose chickens. He truly was an example of service above self.

John will be missed by many, especially his wife of 10 months, Emily.

John and Emily met in Bountiful, Utah while John was stationed at Hill Air Force Base. They were married for eternity on July 14, 2007 and were very excited for the arrival of their first child, John Harold

Alley, Jr., who is expected to be born in October. John loved children, especially his many nieces and nephews. It was not uncommon to find John playing with the children when a family gathering occurred.

(Continued on last page.)

At press time we had learned of the deaths of the fol-

lowing graduates: Col. (Ret) David D. Anderson, Class of 1959, who died on

May 19, 2008 in Provo, Utah.

Mr. Robert B. Macfarlane, Class of 1963, who died on

Aug. 4, 2008 at Dunnsville, Va. Maj. (Ret) Gerald L. Holmes, Class of 1964, who died on May 25, 2008 in California.

Lt. Col. (Ret) Kevin J. McManus, Class of 1964, who

died on July 31, 2008 in Oakton, Va. Maj. (Ret) James D. Davies, Class of 1967, who died on

July 2, 2008 in Azle, Texas.

Mr. John S. Cobb, Class of 1968, who died on April 11, 2008 in Arizona.

Mr. John A. McCreight, Class of 1968, who died on May

14, 2006.

Mr. Stephen W. Thomson, Class of 1968, who died on Nov. 10, 2006.

Lt. Col. Thomas A. Bouley, Class of 1988, who died on

July 30, 2008 at Nellis AFB, Nev. Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of

these graduates.

to mortar the Marines and Da

Nang Air Base. It is mostly marble.

Hue is still the beautiful old historical place. The Citadel is the same as when I landed at the small grass airfield inside the fourth wall in 1963.

Damage from the fighting on the west side during Tet is quite visible.

NhaTrang is unbelievable. It was a small fishing village of maybe 25,000 people in ’63- ’64 when I spent my first tour there. In those days the beautiful beach boulevard was lined with French villas. It is now lined with huge hotels (three more under construction) and a population of400,000! The town has completely encompassed the airfield such that only light aircraft can fly from there and guess where the commercial airfield is Cam Ranh Bay! “The CamRanh airport still has our hardstands, but there are only three “

“

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buildings (terminal, admin and fire station). A resort is under construction and a new highway goes to Nha Trang on the ocean side. (We used to have to go way around the mountains; a long trip.) There is a very nice island in the harbor, which used to have a very small fishing village. The island is now a mega-resort with a cable car to cross the water to the island. I spent hours, but could not find the villa where I lived. “

DaLat is still a wonderful spot. More population, but clean and

essentially

the same. The pavilions on the central lake where we used to eat are still there.

Had a great time talking with students of Da Lat University who were thirsting for talks in English, which is very popular. “

Ho Chi Minh City/ Saigon District One (downtown) is the same but mod.

ernized. The Rex, Continental and Caravelle Hotels are still there, but very modern. It is bustling with four or so million motorbikes and thousands of cars. Cyclos are banned. The only thing missing is the old train terminal. Ton Son Nhat (new spelling) also still sports our concrete arches for fighters.

Outskirts are lined with modern factories. My biggest surprise of the trip was in the War Remnants Museum. The accompanying photo from that museum features me and the same aircraft I flew in ’63- ’64! Nicely preserved. Also took pics of an A-37, probably flown by Jim Connally or Charlie May. Ventured out of town to visit the Chu Chi Tunnels (quite interesting) and down into the delta (MyTho). ’

“The Yankee Air Pirate poses by his juggernaut of death and conquest.” “

Feast or Famine bedevils the scribe! This quarter, I actually received some

really interesting news from classmates, but some of the stories will have to wait for the next issue. The fascinating travelogue from Dick Carr needs to be published in its entirety and it fills most of my allocated space. Dick writes of a nearly month-long visit to SEA, a trip many of us have contemplated, but few have undertaken. Flerewith, his succinct account.

“We began in Hanoi a city beginning to modernize, but not as much as, say, Bangkok. There is a large monument on West Lake where they recovered John McCain. Apparently they did this for many or all the captured fliers. Interestingly, it describes McCain as a ‘Colonel, US Air Force.’

“A trip to the ‘Hilton’ made me awfully happy that I was never shot down.

Only the first fourth of it remains as a museum, as the ‘yard part was taken for a new high-rise hotel ironic. McCain's flight suit is on display in the Hilton.

Went to a ‘B-52 Museum’ that even our tour guide did not know existed. Enough parts for about 3 BUFs as well as all the AAA guns, SAMs, and MIGs on display.

Drove out and back on the Hanoi-Haiphong road. Got good pictures of the Paul Doumer Bridge. All the steel mills and other factories we bombed have been replaced with very modern, efficient and apparently busy factories, surrounded by new subdivisions.

“The sharp karsts rising out of the sea make Halong Bay a unique experience (think Bond movie, "Man with the Golden Gun"). Spent the night on a junk cruising the sights of Halong.

“In Da Nang our concrete fighter arches are still there. ‘China Beach’ is being developed as a large resort. Monkey Mountain Radar is the ATC radar for all of the central part ofVietnam. Also went to Marble Mountain, which the VC used ,

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Cambodia : very poor; 45% of the population is under 15 years of age. They have not recovered from Pol Pot. Documents say that only seven educated people escaped his purge of two m ill ion dead. Angkor Wat and the ancient city of Angkor Thom make a truly unique place to visit. When Paris and London were small towns, a million people lived there, then they all disappeared and no one has ever figured out why or how.

“In general: The people love to see Americans. Service at hotels and restaurants is excellent. Both Vietnam and Cambodia take dollars and actually have the Dong (Viet) and Rial (Cam) tied to the dollar, so it is inexpensive to eat, shop, etc. in both places. No one remembers the war. Every museum is loaded with propaganda such as Jane and the Yankee Air Pirates, but it is what I expected so did not bother me. Vietnam is a net exporter of oil due to offshore drilling. Money is pouring in for development and industry. Had dinner and spent the evening with the head of Deutsche Bank in Saigon and he said the only thing holding both countries back is corruption, which is very bad.

“We were there for nearly a month and took 505 pictures. If any of our classmates would like to see a picture of the Rex or their favorite place I may have one. About the only thing I would add is that I would heartily recommend going back for any of our guys with a history in SEA. To the chagrin of some of our brethren, the Academy made a big deal this year about the graduation of the 50th Class. Some whinged that the truly important heritage event ought to be the 50th anniversary of the graduation of the 1st Class. Harrumph! In view of the facts that (a) both events will stand as significant milestones in our Academy’s history and (b) the USAFA leadership has devoted/committed significant attention and resources to honor and support our Class on both occasions; we ought not to entertain a pointless debate about which should predominate. Get over it!

On 27 May, a sizable contingent of’59ers was seated together as guests of the Superintendent and recognized publicly at the Class of2008’s graduation parade. Classmates who had traveled some distance (including two who flew directly from Europe) j oined the locals both in the grandstands and that evening for our monthly social to mark the occasion. Those who braved the 35° ’’

chill factor at Falcon Stadium the next day were similarly recognized at graduation.

Starbucks most Fridays, sometimes joined by Gerry de la Cruz their meetings, which include cigars, are dubbed “StarGars”... Fires were perilously close to his Santa Barbara home, and Goose Gulbransen wrote that “We evacuated to Mammoth Lakes, where we stay for family vacations. The fires were 20 miles to the northwest, made interesting sunsets, and we lost electricity one night. You’re not in trouble ’til the DC-10 arrives!”... George Pupich recently introduced himself to Troy Calhoun (AFA, ’89), Falcon Football Coach, and Troy’s immediate response was: “Alex’s Dad! So happy to finally meet you!

(George, football star from our era, had to be proud that son Alex now merits some football fame on his own)... Alex Pupich (AFA ’97), is with the California Guard C-130 outfit and has been on his second tour in Afghanistan at Bagram Air Base on 07/21 /08, Alex called George from St. Johns, Newfoundland after “departingAfghanistan and on his way home. He arrived yesterday (July 22nd) and was in great spirits,” said George.

“Ina and I went to the New Zealand and Australia Forward Air Controller Association reunion in Canberra, Australia,” wrote Dale Thompson. “We combined that trip with a 2-1 / 2 week tour of both countries, then a week in Canberra with the FACs, who flew in support of US combat units in Vietnam.

In addition to the banquets and tours, we participated in the Anzac Day sunrise ceremony and mid-day parade. The patriotism we witnessed was extremely impressive. The photo shows me leading up the combined countries' forward air controller groups. We were actually in the water four hours that day seeing incredible things, in addition to the boat trip out and back. Some other highlights were spending our anniversary with a champagne toast at sunset on Ayers Rock, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, boat trip through the fiords and Milford Sound, visiting Mount Cook and the glaciers, exploring a number of beautiful cities like Sydney and the wonderful hospitality of the FACs in Canberra.”

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”

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(Most of) the Graduation Parade attendees. From left are Ed Lankenau, Ch uck Ferrari, John Miltner, Jack Bryan, Jim Blackwell, Ed Montgomery, Max Miller,Jack Hundemer, Pete Todd, Wiley Burch, Bruce Thompson, Don Brooks, and ‘Dusty’ Trail.

Thoughtfor the Quarter: If you look like your passport photo, you probably need the trip.

(Rosie) Cler, Jr. 5423 Myrtle Wood

A.J.

89 % IfWlllww® &

Sarasota, FL 34235-4624 Phone: (941) 371-4843 E-mail: RCtherose@aol.com Class Web Site: www.usafa.ne1/l960

After Steve Bishop was diagnosed with a bad ticker, good-guy Jim Glaza threw a bash at his mountainside villa near Monument for Steve Feb. 29,2008, with Jenny cooking ratatouille and cassoulet. Assigned to ward off ominous portents were George and Diana Pupich, Duck and Mary Waddle, Wayne and Barb Kendall, Bruce and Caryl Mosier, and “The English Patient” and tennis star (former Academy tennis player Steve starred in doubles with Gerry Stack).

-

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Duck Waddle gave the benediction with unprecedented aplomb, sending Steve racing off to his surgery full of friendship and warm stuff. The first operation was performed by open-heart surgery, removing the aortic valve and replac-

ing it; later, a second operation repaired the carotid artery.

Dr. Mark Douthit, world-renowned and well-known Boul-

der, CO surgeon performed the successful changes to Steve’s plumbing. So when I (Rosie) got a telephone call from Steve July 2nd, he was again at the Glazas, this time with martini-

Dale Thompson leading FACs in Canberra.

in-hand and enthusiastically attributing the success of both operations to the February ratatouille and the potent and

There is some very sad news to report: On June 16th, 2008, Frank and Faye Gorham lost their oldest son in his aerobatic plane the one in which he holds

powerful prayers of Mr. Waddle. (R: There’s a message in there

an FAA air show waiver. The aileron control

somewhere...)

high stress maneuver near Panama City, FL, and he ordered his passenger to bail. There was not enough time for Kevin to get out. (R: From the June ’08 Web Column, you’ll recall that Kevin is shown in the picture promoting a local air show two years ago.) Condolences to frankgorham@comcast.net, and contributions to http://www.precisionavjet.com.

More (Mostly) Friendly Fire. “I'm an ordained minister of the Gospel and an insurance agent with Bankers Life and Casualty Company,” writes Charlie

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linkage bent and jammed during

a

Ben and Hideko Furuta took a Baltic sea cmise of 12 days;

first stop Warnemunde, Germany, then a train to Sachsenhausen Labor Camp (formerly East Germany), and Berlin. “I again saw many of the sites we visited during our summer trip to Europe in 1958, said Ben, “like the Russian Memorial a few blocks from the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, remnants of the Berlin ”

Wall, and the commercialization of‘Checkpoint Charlie’ (now a souvenir venue for tourists). The apartments ofStalin Allee have been ‘prettified, and the whole of Berlin is now so modern; the changes in these 50 years are unimaginable. ’

”

Ben and Hideko also visited Moscow and saw Red Square and the Kremlin.

Friendly Fire. The DC area’s Ralph Lalime and Tony Burshnick gather at

Folkart, who lives in Fairmont, WV... In March, Dean Bristow had openheart surgery for coronary artery problems (NotAm to Dean: We know you’re a doctor, Dean, but, you just might want to call Steve Bishop about his “ratatouille and Waddle cure”)... Doug Rekenthaler’s medical history: “I’ve had two heart attacks (one in Moscow), broken leg, broken ankle, two cataract

operations, and a right hip replacement”... George Luck’s one-year old grandson, River Luck of Kansas City, MO, represents the 10th generation of Lucks in the U.S., from England in the 1670s to Virginia and then Georgia in the 1850s, through the present... Jerry de la Cruz’s AFA diploma shows a “Degree in Public Affairs. Anyone else get one of those?

For those who track such things, I have prepared a list of classmates who entered with us in 1956 with previous military experience. That list contains the names of 18 who were in the military prior to coming to the Academy go to www.usafa.net/1960, and click “Artifacts.” One of the many interesting stories is that of Ken Alnwick: “I was a non-prior-service A3C draftsman in the AFRES 514th Troop Carrier Wing, Mitchell Field, Long Island, NY (C-l 18) while still in high school and during my year at Stephens Tech in Hoboken, NJ. At Stephens, I was also in the USAF ROTC program. My ‘A’ in ROTC kept my GPA above 2.0 when I tried the second time for an appointment to the Academy (I ”

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was an alternate for

’59). I believe I was one of 1 On or so members of our class to be selected under the 'military service' category.

“In 1954,1 was also a member of the Continental Air Command's civilian

Ben and Hideko

volunteer Ground Observer Corps, which was formed to supplement what 93

would become the NORAD system. In the evenings, while in high school, I would climb to the roof of the Garden City Hotel and report by phone to a control and reporting center the altitude, direction, and type (multi-engine, single engine) of air traffic passing overhead. This was the same system used by Claire Chennault in Burma during WWII. I wonder if anyone else had the same or similiar introduction to the USAF?" We received this photograph and message from marlyxl@yahoo.com on 07/19/08:

On 5 July Tom and Anne Eller hosted the local members of our class for a 4th

of July barbecue and a place from which to watch the fireworks associated with the Symphony Above the Clouds in Woodland Park. Tom and Susan

Conley, Randy and Jan Cubero, Dean and Jo Jones, Charlie and Lynda Neel, Terry and Carleen Storm, and Jim and Nancy Wilhelm attended. Susan’s recent surgery prevented Mike and Susan Quinlan from attending. It was great fellowship with an abundance of good jokes. Tom and Anne also enjoyed

having all of their children and their families visit Woodland Park for several days in July since having everyone together is a rare treat. It included a family fishing trip to Farish and a trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. In July, Erna and Wayne Haring finished a six-week trip using their fifth wheel camper: from Colorado to Minnesota to Battle Creek, MI, to Raleigh, NC, to visit their sons and relatives. They were also scheduled for a cruise in late August from England to Ireland,

WE'RE ENGAGED! RICHARD AND MARILYNN! Class History Book: Send War Stories to Ken Werrell at kwerrell@radford.edu and Humorous Stories to Vic Yoakum atVyoakum@comcast.net.

Final Roll Call. Sandra Bristow, wife ofDean Bristow, died June 15,2008.

Ted Stumm died May 25,2008 in Jacksonville, FL; his body was cremated, and the Interment Ceremony will be held at the USAFA Cemetery October3,2008.

(For extended Class News additional stories and more photos go to our Class Website at www.usafa.net/1960, click “Class News,” then September —

—

2008.)

Earl N. “Nelson” 0’Rear

50582 Stonington Drive

87% Members

Granger, IN 46530-8243 H: (574) 273-2597 E-mail: enoandtjo@gmail.com Class Web Site: www.usafal961.org

Ginger and Mark Anderson escaped the south Texas summer heat for a few days in Colorado's beautiful Estes Park. Mark is still flying the Cessna and keeping his golfhandicap respectable.

Stu and Marnie Boyd have moved from their barn into their house, leaving their previous living quarters to the horses, cats, and a dog. Between teaching at Weber State, training horses, flying with Civil Air Patrol, filling in for the chaplains at Hill AFB, and continuing to add to the flora and fauna on the ranch things are never dull. Their irrigation pond is stocked with trout, so if you go through Utah, take your fly rod.

In July, Jackie and Tom Brophy enjoyed a Marian Pilgrimage from Portugal, through northern Spain (Galicia), into southern France, to Paris. Both grew up Catholic and had heard about the Marian Shrines at Lourdes and Fatima but had never been there. Northern Spain is quite lush and mountainous, where they raise bulls for the ring but don't fight them. After their tour, Jackie and Tom spent four wonderful days in Paris on the Left Bank and were treated very well. Even the waiters were nice to them. Aside from a miserable exchange rate on the Euro, it was a great trip.

Like many, Dee and Doug Cairns have celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary. That means that it is time to get ready to start thinking about and researching options for the big 50th. Doug wonders what his classmates have up their sleeves. Their son Rob retired from the Army on 30 July in Naples, Italy, where he has been for the past fouryears. Rob gets the COLA. Doug and Dee don’t, so the Euro exchange rate is making it really tough to continue their regular cycle of visits, but he is sure they will manage.

Gene and Judy Davis joined a Flying Tigers Association (FTA) tour to China in March. The 18 days included a five-day cruise on the Yangtze, a trip through the locks that bypass the new Gezhouba Dam, and a visit to Chennault's cave headquarters at the Yangtang Airport. They also sawthe Qin Terra-cottaWarriors Museum and the Great Wall. Additionally, they visited the Chinese Aviation Museum and enjoyed a Li River cmise. If you are interested in a first class trip to China next March, contact Gene, and he will put you in touch with the FTA. Judy and Gene also went to Tryon, NC, in June to hawk his new book, Murder at the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival, at the NC BBQ Championships. Contact him if you'd like to buy a personalized copy.

Bob Dean is enjoying his retired life immensely. His wife, Patty, still manages a data communications office about 20 minutes from their home. She loves —

herjob, and won't quit. Three areas keep Bob busy: 1) trading every day on the stock market, 2) following alternative health practices, and 3) being involved with spiritualism, occult, and psychic activities.

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Norway, Iceland, Greenland, St Johns CN, and New York.

Haven and Roberta Hill both remain healthy and expect to continue their travel abroad, starting with a tour through the Panama Canal ending in Miami in February ’09. Tennis is still the mainstay of Haven’s activities, but golf (twice a week) keeps him ready for combat with Wayne and Dean (when he's in town) Jones. Haven said that they hope to see/hear from other Gray Tags when they are in the San Diego area.

Peggy and Henry Howe enjoyed a July visit with her father in Loveland, as well as with friends in Cuchara, CO, and made a "low pass" past the Academy going up and down the Front Range. All continues well with them. He has now transitioned from the Interim Executive Director position at the Retreat Center since they hired their new Director in May. He said it feels great to have more time to do personal and "honey do" items.

Lowell said that DC area attendees at the 9 July luncheon were: Charley Dixon, Bill Foster, Lowell Jones, John Kohout, Jack McDonough, Hector Negroni, Terry Norris, Jim Rogers, and Bill Sanzenbaeher. They decid ed that

they received enough responses from out-of-DC-area classmates to proceed with their proposed 2009 mini-reunion. Bill Foster, Jack McDonough, Hector Negroni, and John Kohout briefed the others on several good hotel proposals.

They subsequently signed a contract with the Fairview Park Marriott Hotel, located near the Metro, about a quarter mile inside the beltway on Route 50.

The hotel price will be $ 133 per night (including tax). Information and a photo tour of the Fairview Park Marriott (Falls Church, VA) are at: https:// www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasfp-fairview-park-marriott/.

A rough activity outline: Thursday. 1 Oct: Arrival and preparation; Friday, 2 Oct: DC sightseeing and catered dinner at a local classmate’s home. You can metro to most of the great sites in DC (newer ones include the WWII Memorial,

Air Force Memorial, Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, and of course an older one

--

the Vietnam Memorial with our classmates’ names). Dulles has the recently-

completed Aerospace Museum. Saturday. 3 Oct: Bus from the hotel to the game and back. Victory Party (catered) at a local classmate’s home; Sunday, 4 Oct: Brunch at the hotel and departure. The hotel is also very close to our classmates (Hector Negroni and Bill Foster), who have offered their homes for Friday and Saturday evenings, respectively. They will keep us all posted on progress, and our Class website will also have the latest information. Everyone is invited to add their name to the list of prospective attendees.

Binding commitments will not be needed until much later. Football ticket information will be requested in the May 2009 timeframe.

Wayne Jones enjoyed attending the U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines in June and watching Tiger play. Wayne and Mary recently visited their daughter in Ventura and attended the 56th Annual Lompoc Flower Festival, where her new husband performed on the saxophone with a terrific Latin jazz band. The next day they took a ferry to the beautiful Channel Islands National Parkto go hiking. They highly recommend it. They spent three weeks in Washington State in August visiting family and sightseeing.

Carleen and Terry Storm spent 12 great days in Italy (Venice, Florence, Capri, Pompeii, Rome, traveling by train and ferry). During a week in the Northwest, Pat and Corky Cochrane joined them for a beautiful day in Victoria, B.C. They enjoyed a nice ferry ride roundtrip, plus absolutely gorgeous flowers at the gardens there. Terry also updated Art Kerr, Dick McMonigal, Oleg Komarnitsky, Jack Taylor and Gene Hopp on the AOG issues at a morning gettogether. Although their week-long trip purpose was a Ketchikan High School reunion near Seattle, they visited many relatives and AF friends in Oregon and

Washington.

Gina and Charlie Thomas enjoyed last year's Alaskan cmise so much, they went again this August. The Holland America cmise departed and returned to

Seattle, with stops in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC. In October,

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they will return to Kauai for a week on the north shore. In between are family and AF football trips. Their neighbors suggest renting out their home since they travel so much.

Neal Westbrook’s daughter and son-in law gifted him and his grandson with a ride on a B-24 named "Witchcraft".

Neal said it was a blast, and he means

literally; the wind whips through the aircraft unhindered, and the noise was nearly deafening. He now has a vivid appreciation and admiration for what those guys did over Europe. That was flying, like using buckboards was riding.

Jim Wilhelm said that they had a nice ’61 get-together in Colorado Springs on 22 May. PB and Marilyn O'Connor spent the night with them, on their way from Tucson to Westminster, CO, to see their oldest granddaughter graduate from high school and attend her trumpet recital. What better time to host a party for the old Gray Tags? Besides them, the Neels, Harings, Storms, Jones, Conleys (and son, Andrew and wife), Cuberos, andWorthMcCue attended and had a great time. The week before, the Wilhelms hosted a cocktail party for Charlie and Sarah Stebbins, honoring son, Charlie “Brown" and Michelle, on his retirement from the Air Force. Many classmates attended the retirement ceremony, which Charlie conducted for his son. Both Charlies did an outstanding job. Our classmates and their wives were all honored to be included, and Charlie and Sarah said it was great to have the support of their classmates and friends at this retirement ceremony, as well as happy to see them all. Sarah said that they took their children and grandchildren to their annual Nags Head summer vacation spot and had their usual great time together. Sarah also said that Charlie is preparing for his last (hopefully) year as Provost at the University of Charleston.

Judy and Tom Wilson have "survived" amajorkitchen remodeling. It'sbeen relatively smooth, but not without moments of pure panic: not unlike flying.

They also had their annual reunion with their children and 10 grandchildren for three nights and four days at a water park lodge in north central Wisconsin.

It's always a challenge to get everyone together but certainly worth all the effort. If y'all haven't tried it, Judy and Tom highly recommend the experience.

They are hopeful of getting to Colorado Springs this fall for a football game.

“My son Brian is an aircraft commander on the KC-135. I kid him that he's drivin’ machines I was probably gassing up behind in Vietnam.

“I couldn't ‘set the table’ on the vintage racer thing in 50 words, so do with it whatyou wish. It'd be OK with me if it wasn't included at all. There MUST be more exciting things being done in our second childhood than me and my little racer... Hope all is well, Jim.” No Jim, I don’t think too many of us do more exciting things than mow lawns or drive our wheelchairs to the corner drugstore. But, I’m not a know-it-all. So how about some inputs from the rest ofyou all on exciting or interesting hobhies or pastimes that you do. We would all love to hear about it.

Bo tol d us about his d aughter and her husband and refreshed

my memory with the following email today, to wit: “Nannette and her husband, Ryan Menath (both Class of2001 at USAFA), are both aircraft commanders in the McGuire AFB KC- 10A unit (32nd ARS, I believe). They both j ust got back from the

sandbox after a two-plus month deployment. They were happy to get back to the 95 degree and 90 per cent humidity of central New Jersey. So now Nancy and I are headed back to Colorado with a few stops along the way. (Scribe note: Bo and Nancy were house-sitters at times.)

“Nannette and Ryan were in the same summer training element and became good friends, Later the relationship grew beyond that. After pilot training for both (Ryan at Vance, Nannette at Laughlin) they had a great USAFA Chapel wedding then both were FAIPs at Laughlin.

“I really enjoyed our dinner at Solo's. My best to your wife, also. I hope we can get together again soon. Bo.” Later that week, we had lunch at the Garden ofthe Gods Country Club with Ralph and Karen Spory and Rip and Jeannie Blaisdell. A deer walked out ofthe brush to within 30 feet of our patio table. I would have taken its picture for this column but it wasn’t a Grad. So you’ll have to settle for the three Redtag couples shown here.

Tom said it would be great to see many of you there.

Thanks to all who shared. If you did not share this time, please plan to do so next time. It is

always nice to catch up.

John W. “Jack” Jamba

4 Judy Court

80 % Members

Satellite Beach, FL 32937 H: (321) 777-5520 0: (321) 861-6279

Cell: (321) 432-1370 E-Mail: jwjamba@aol.com

HiRedtags, Well I got a chance to go to Colorado Springs in late June to tag along with my wife on HER Air Force business trip. Big change, since she previously tagged along with me. We stayed at the Peterson AFBVOQ and had opportunities to visit with a few Redtags. One evening Caroline and I had din ner with Bo Ohman and Jim Mack at Solo’s, the restaurant built around a KB-97 and where the Redtags’ 45th Reunion kicked offlast year. The photo shows, from left, Caroline and Jack Jamba, Bo Ohman and Jim Mack.

Ralph and Karen Spory, Jean n ie and Rip Blaisdell and Caroline and Jack Jamba enjoy lunch at the Garden ofthe Gods Country Club.

It just so happened that I was in town during the day that the cadets entered the Academy. Rip, Ralph and a few other Redtags hosted candidates for the eveni ng before their entrance. T he hosts drove the candidates to the Bring Me Men Ramp to drop them off. I didn’t try to go to the entrance ceremony because I figured that 1 probably needed a special pass. I would say that it brought back many memories but I can’t remember very much anymore. So I like to think I had a great time there exchanging jokes with the upperclassmen and giving them high fi ves or whatever it was we did with our hands back then.

One afternoon I had to go to Denver to see some OSHA people so I arranged to have lunch with Don Egan. It was great seeing his smiling face after so many

As you’ll notice in the picture, part of the plane is inside the restaurant and

part of the plane is visible outside the window. The plane has seating in the

fuselage for about 12 couples. The rest ofthe seating is outside the plane. Good location. During the evening, Jim told us about one of his pastimes and repeated in an email for this column. “AfterWWII the open cockpit midget and ‘big Car’ craze hit the Midwest. Several of the ‘Dads’, my Dad included, went together to fund a racer to run the Midwest fair circuit. I fondly remember those times as a youngster. Hence, in 19901 found and restored a vintage 1940 midget. I run the car in vintage races about six to seven times a summer. Its V8 Ford engine pulls the car along like crazy. In fact, I call it my ol’ man’s F-100.

Folks ask me how fast will it go and I tell them I run out of‘brave’ before I run out of horsepower.

years. We reminisced about some funny times we had as cadets. DJ is doing very well and enjoying life. But I forgot to take a picture. Next Time. On the way back to Colorado Springs, I stopped by the cemetery and found several of our classmates’ graves. I was the only visitor there. I took some pictures of their headstones. Very touching moments.

The Friday that Caroline and I left Colorado was the 50th anniversary of our entrance into USAFA. A contingent of Redtags drove down to Lowry to take some pictures of the remnants of the USAFA site there. I am restricted to three pictures per column, so I will have to wait until next issue to run the picture of that Redtag group that captured a piece of history for us.

And then I got this from Chet Griffin. “Thanks to Dick and Liz Klass for hosting a celebration of the day, a long time ago, in a land far away, our intrepid band started on one of our formative journeys. A good time was had by all, and since Lanny Lancaster is in the wine business, libations were abundant and well received.

The Red Tag Babes supplied enough gourmet food to feed two armies, which helped balance out Lanny’s fruit ofthe vine. Marcy Dykes brought her superb yeast rolls to a collective sigh of relief by those hoping she would do so. I don't know how many of the world's problems we solved, but I think those attending would agree that we all felt the spirit of Bob Hope's theme song, ‘Thanks for the Memories’.” “

95

Spoke with Neil Sorensen a few days ago who is working on the “Gone but Not Forgotten” input for Greg. We also talked a little about Neil’s woodworking efforts on Whidbey Island, WA and fishing in Idaho. Neil sent a brochure about a wood show called Woodpalooza.” It is the 5th annual Show of the Whidbey Island Woodworkers Guild being held August 30th through Septemher 7th and he is displaying some of his woodworking pieces at the show.

Mick Roth forwarded a picture taken in early in May, when he and Jerry Thies hosted a reunion of their Pilot Training Class, 65-B, from Williams AFB. Mick said that many of our '63 classmates plus a number of Germans who were at Willy with them were there and the picture below confirms that. “

The “Redtags plus Babes” photo shows, from left sitting: Marcy Dykes, EvaLee

Griffin, Sue Haugen, and Dick Klass. Standing: Chet Griffin, Tom Moore, Bobbie andBob Gibson, Virginia Moore, Tom Keaney, Art and Sandy Farrington, Scott Fisher, BillHaugen, DonHallager, Ted Dykes and Fanny Lancaster. (LizKlass was in the

kitchen.)

I guess that’s it for now. Keep the news and memories flowing. As my wife

remarks, “I’ve been at reunions and get-togethers for about 38 years and I always hear new stories every time the Redtags get together.” And I agree with her. Well, all I can say is either our memories get better with age or our Alzheimer’s gets worse with age. Or we can make up some good stories on the spur of the moment. Cheers, Go Redtags!

Norman I.

(Skip) Lee

63119 E. Cat Claw Lane

83% Members

Tucson, AZ 85739-2058 Home: (520) 825-7980

Cell: (520) 241-3498 E-mail: 54wrs@msn.com

Kneeling from left are Jim Allburn, Ken Kopke, Hank Hoffman, Gordie Bredvikjoe Coates, Jerry Thies, and Fred Bauer. Standing: Hans Muermans, Ron Me Collumjim Diffendorfei; Tim Gallagher, Steve Dotson, Lucky Ekman, Mick Roth, Bob Me Beth, Ch uck Ogren, Bob Venkus, Mike Goold, Willi Goebel, Bodo Meyer, Bob Parlette, Jack Zygner, and Fred Lindahl.

When this issue of Checkpoints arrives in the mail boxyou will most likely be getting ready to travel to Colorado Springs or may already be there. So there isn’t much to be gained by writing about Reunion plans and events. Still it seems important to mention two of the issues that have been cussed and discussed over the past few months: the Class Gift, the Class Cups and what we may want to do about the 50 th in 2013 I know some guys are not coming to Colorado this time but many of us have

definite plans to be at the 50th so we should really begin now to make that event even more

special.

Much ofthe Class Gift discussion seems to be focusing in on the possibility of our We recently learned from the AOG that our classmate Gregory W. Halley, CS

07, passed away on 10July2008. Greg died as a result of Stage IV melanoma that

diagnosed about 18 months ago. A Memorial Service was held 13 July at the New Bridge Grange in Oregon. Condolences may be sent to his family in care of his wife, June: Mrs. June Halley, 42886 Old Foothill Road, Richland OR

was

97870-6658.

We also had a message from the AOG informing us of the death of Robert B.

Macfarlane, CS-21, who passed away on Aug. 4,2008. Condolences maybe sent to his family in care of his wife, Doro thy, at: Mrs. Dorothy K. Macfarlane, 113 Valley Lane, Pittsboro, NC 27312-7519.

John Heimburger wrote to say he had driven up to New Bridge to attend the memorial service and couldn’t say enough about Greg’s family; wife, June, and three sons Dirk, BretandMark. All three sons served in theArmy or Navy and

presented flags by the VFW. He also said that area in the corner of IdahoOregon-Washington is sure pretty country.

John included an update of his son, Kais, who is a First Classman this year which I can’t believe it seems like Kais was just a Doolie a little while ago. Kais will be a Group Commander this summer. Time is really flying. He also attached a photo of wife, Chris, Kais, and Cheyenne (daughter who attended Ring Dance with one of Kais classmates). Some very handsome folks there. were

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class supporting an oral histoiy program headed by the USAFA Department of History (DFH). The program was briefed to the Dean by DFH, and according to Drue DeBerry the Dean was very enthusiastic about the project. The vision is to establish a financially independent USAFA Center for Oral History requiring a rather large endowment as well as annual operating funds. It has been suggested that we, the Class of 1963, form a class gift committee to lead the fundraising effort for this or some other project in connection with our 50th reunion. Anyway the Class Gift, the Class Cups and the 50th Reunion will be a part of the Class Business Meeting on Friday afternoon duringthe Reunion.

Ken and Kay Broman sent their annual Christmas Letter and photo last December which included a description of their trip to India and, due to space requirements, it was not possible for me to include the information about them in the winter or spring editions of this column. That being said, the write-up on their trip last November was so remarkable the letter was put in my “looking for an opportunity” folder to be sure I could share it with you at some point in time. Alas, Ken and Kay tell their story: “... the highlight of the year was our trip to India in November. We have been talking about going for three years and it finally came about. The flights were long and we were delayed in London arriving in New Delhi nine hours late. But from then on, things went well. New Delhi is huge and attracts the richest and the poorest. Some ofthe beggars can breakyour heart. We traveled by bus to five different areas. The roads can be quite primitive and the traffic varies from large tmeks, buses and tractors to cows, camel carts and bicycles. We saw the Taj Mahal in the late afternoon sunlight and it is beautiful. We rode elephants up to the Amber Fort in Jodhpur. We spent two nigfits at a castlelike setting just outside Ranthambore Wildlife Park and on three jeep safaris into the park saw tiger, deer, antelope, bear and crocodile. The Indian people are friendly and the women dress in brightly-colored saris; many men in bright turbans. The children have learned to ask for shampoo that tourists take from their hotel rooms. We explored fabulous palaces and forts high on hills. We strolled in an island park in the middle of a lake. We timed our trip to take in the annual Pushkar Camel Fair. A small town of20,000 people hosts 200,000 for two weeks. Over 25,000 camels, cattle and horses arrive for selling and trading. We slept in tents with carpeted floors and flush toilets. But the mnning water was cold and we were allowed two buckets of hot water a day. We rode a camel cart out into the midst of all the people and animals and watched the sun set through the haze of dung-fueled campfires. Our two weeks passed quickly and we endured the long flight home. We were happy to taste American cuisine again.”

Thanks guys it was obviously a great trip.

Rogers, Tom Browning (former POW), Milt Rutter, Tim O’Keefe, Gary Smith, and Tom McNish (former POW).

Kay and Ken at the Taj Mahal.

Earlier this month I exchanged notes with Denny King asking for any inputs he may have for the Class News. He did say he can’t do the AOG Class Advisory Senate j ob any longer and there may be some guys in the class who would love it and I wish one would volunteer. So, if you are interested send Diff a note or an e-mail and

maybe apply for the j ob. Before you do; however, go the AOG Web Site and under “About the AOG” click on the Class Advisory Senate button and take a look around.

That’s it for this time. Be careful out there and we sincerely hope to see you at the Reunion in October.

Bob Hovde

p

206 Walker Ave.

.Members,

1

78%

Huntsville, AL 35801 (H) (256) 532-3923 (M) (256) 348-9794 bob@hovde.us

Mall ofHeroes As advertised last issue, Sandy and I went to Colorado Springs for the graduation of the Class of2008 and the dedication of the Mall of Heroes and the statue of Karl Richter. The Class of2008 (for those of you with -

long

memories) chose Karl as their class “Exemplar”

that is, as the person the Class held up as exemplifying what they strove to become. They wore Karl’s name on their jackets just above their class date, and every time someone said “Class of 2008, they would yell out, “Richter!” Rod Wells sent a picture of some of the Class of2008 with Karl’s statue at the dedication.

-

“

F-l05 Pilots with Karl Richter. (Photo credit-Patti Olin)

Doug and Lois Jenkins were also at the dedication and attended the Class of 2008’s Graduation Parade, CS28’s Commissioning Ceremony and the Graduation Commencement, all in honor of Cadet (now 2/Lt) Eliza Enyart, who they sponsored in the Bed and Breakfast program four years ago. The day after the graduation, they went to Tyndall AFB for a reunion of the 95th Fighter with which flew F-l 06s back in the ’60s. While there, they ran Squadron, Doug into Fred and Barbara Olmstead. Fred and Doug were roommates in CS20 in the fall of 1960.

Later, in July, Doug reported that the Old Trolls met at the Rockyard in Castle

Rock for their quarterly Old Trolls lunch. They had a good turnout of seven Old Trolls. [Why do they call them “Old” Trolls? Some ofthem may be trolls, but we aren’t even middle-

aged yet, are we? I mean, middle-aged is the age half-way between me and the oldest person I know, isn’t it?] Anyway, Doug, Jerry Buder, Fred Malmstrom, Tom Morris, Rod Wells, Jim Hermanson, and Bobby Beverly made it to the July meeting. They solved a great number of the world’s biggest problems while there, and even discussed the first reunion planning meeting at Kelly’s on 8/23, Jerry’s retirement from Colorado Springs Utilities on 8/29, Rod’s grandkids’ visit, and Doug’s son’s pending four-month deployment to Afghanistan, Jim’s recent visit to Canada and Israel, and Tom Jobin’s return from Korea after a month’s visit there. Their next

meeting will be in Castle Rock to celebrate Jerry’s retirement and then they’ll try a couple of meetings in Denver. Life is good along the Front Range. [Doug sent in several good photos, but I was limited to just three for the article.]

Another Lawyer-but they probably need them in Illinois -Fred Malmstrom reports that his son, Carl, was just admitted to the Illinois Bar. For some reason, Fred and Susan seem to think it’s a good thing to have another lawyer associated with our class like we didn’t have any already.

--

Class of2008 Cadets with their Exemplar-Karl Richter.

The night before the dedication, a large contingent of F-105 drivers (from the war waged out of Thailand several centuries ago) met at the Antlers to welcome Karl’s family and tell (probably) true stories of long ago. After the dedication, we returned to the Antlers for dinner (and more “There I was stories).

Sandy and I had dinner that night with Karl’s sister, who regaled us with stories of Karl as a boy. (She taught him how to fly.) Karl, it seems, came by his “Sure I can do it!” attitude naturally.

Nick Lacey sent in the next photo of the 11 classmates at the dedication who flew the F-105 in southeast Asia during the years that Karl flew from Korat RTAFB, Thailand (1966/1967). Two others, Nels Running and Dick Hackford, were unable to attend. Five classmates who were also F-105 pilots have died: Karl Richter KIA, f im White KIA, Bob Lodge KIA, Ron Bliss (former POW) and Jim Shively (former POW). In the front row from left are Ed Harvey, GaryOlin, Nick Lacey, Marty Neuens (former POW), and Ken Hallmark. Second row: A1 ”

Proud parents Fred and Susan Malmstrom congratulate the latest Illinois lawyer their son Carl.

-

Falcon Alert! Our reporter from the Left Coast, Dave Neal, reported on the peregrine falcon population growth in the San Francisco area. He reports, -

“Today was a momentous day for the pair of peregrines that are nesting in eucalyptus trees in front of my office. Their two fledglings have left the nest to take up the art of aerial combat, helping to reduce the pigeon population in the neighborhood. While we knew they were nesting in the trees on our property, we have not seen much of them. So it was a pleasant surprise to see the two young falcons down on the ground and in the lower branches. Both parents were observing them from perches in the lower branches as well. [Yes. Dave sent in pictures to prove the sightings. They really were falcons.]

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To Salute or Not To Salute? Paul Belmont sent out a missive announcing that

Section 594 of the National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law as Pub-

lie Law 110-181 on Jan 28,2008, allows members of the Armed Forces and veterans out ofuniform to salute the flag. John Graves replied that now we’re going to have a real mess, because, “You guys probably don't remember the Great American Public (you being much older than I) who used to stand and gawk at noon formation but I sure do. I guarantee you the ONLY people who will note this change will be veterans (and a few others... the 1% who truly get EVERYTHING). When the flag passes by or otherwise receives honors, most people look around to see what others are doing (the great American lemming behavior) and follow suit. It won' t take long before EVERYBODY is saluting! The GAP don't change its spots, Buddy! Then, you know what? We'll need a flag education PROGRAM for the GAR We may be a goofy people sometimes but by golly we come by it honest, as we say in the South. I thought the old guidance was simple and understandable: ‘Ifyou're in uniform, salute. Otherwise putyour hand over your heart.’ What, for Pete' s sake, was wrong with that? On the other hand, maybe we'll get some ‘Humor in Uniform’ stories out of it. Signed: John Graves, American Patriot Number 1 and sole member (I think) of the class of’64 who truly LOVED marching in parades (and therapy hasn't helped).”

I can’t top that, so I’m signing off for this issue.

Rick Zurbrugg

76%

Members

2929 Gavin Place

Duluth, GA 30096

(770) 476-4437 E-mail: ezurb@bellsouth.net

Hey’65!

Please take a moment to remember the lives and contributions of our good friends and classmates Peter Fazio (May 11,2008) and Richard Benson (June 8, 2008) who have transitioned to eternity. Jude Terhall was thoughtful enough to send the following: Bob Penry and Jude Terhall attended Pete Fazio’s Memorial Service on May 31 st in Loreauxville, LA. Pete donated his body to science. After the service, there was a sharing session at Shannon and Toni Gonsoulin’s residence. Memories were shared by Jude, Bob, and John Clark, one of Pete’s best friends from his active dutyAF days. Attached is a picture of Pete's family-wife, Diane, and daughters, Toni and Andrea with their husbands.

member ofthe AOG, there is no program within the Association for Graduates or spouses without partners to find a friend/ companion. Because you receive news from graduates through your column, I am assuming that you would have a list of those who are single. I am hoping that you can point me in the right direction. Allow me to provide a short resume in case someone comes to mind: I am 62,5' 4", 120 lbs. I take pride in the fact that I workout every day to maintain my appearance. I am a 1966 graduate of Loretto Heights College. I live on Meadowlake airport east ofColorado Springs. I have a deeded taxiway easement, from my five acres, to a 6,000 foot runway. I train and show horses at a world level. If you know anyone in the Colorado Springs area or elsewhere who would like to live here, I would appreciate your help. Hopefully, the word will trickle back to the AOG that something needs to be done.

As each year passes, more and more grads and spouses are alone. The Academy family has meant so much to so many. The AOG should be the glue that keeps us together. Thanks for your time and kindness. Looking forward to your reply.” Thank you Ma’am. Scribe’s note: This lady was married to a classy squadron mate of mine. This is, I believe, for real, and obviously from a person who knows who she is and what she wants. I can put you in touch with her. One bachelor classmate with whom I shared her letter, asked, “How long did she say that runway was?”

Gary Close: “...I read in the June "Checkpoints" that (Bill Cole) can still do 16 pull-ups from a dead hang. If that is tme I am highly impressed.. .1 have worked my way up to five and am shooting for twelve. I just read Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell... I... recommend it highly... the story of the battle is incredible, but also very interesting is the description of SEAL training. I find that I need a fitness goal or my training is not consistent or focused enough. I ran the Phoenix marathon in January, so that kept me going during 2007, but since then I haven't really found anything that has me motivated... Are you interested in taking this on as a ‘project’? Ranger standards include a two-mile run in 13 minutes and I simply can't run a 6:30 mile, and also 80 push-ups in two minutes I trained to be able to do 60 push-ups on my 60th birthday and the most I could ever do was 55; it seemed like I just hit a wall and couldn't improve no matter what I did. Anyway, since goals have to be reasonable enough so you can believe you can achieve them I decided to shoot for something more within the realm of possibility. Anyway, what do you think? Can you think of other Academy guys who might want to take an appropriate challenge? We're all getting to the age where maintaining and even improving physical capabilities is harder but more important than ever... My wife, Patty, and I just returned from a three week trip to China, and I will be watching the Olympics with more than normal interest because I have seen the venues in Beijing. I pity the endurance athletes; the level of air pollution in China and especially Beijing is astounding. Stay well, Gary” Thanks Gary, your energy level and ambition are inspirational. I can give you Gary’s email if you want to take his challenge. I and Goodwife walk 50 minutes five days a week, then swim 10 laps a day from Memorial to Labor Days, mow on the 6th day, and take overdoses of Christian theology, the NY Times, and fat free Double Churned Fudge Tracks on the 7th day.

Let me hear from all y’all about your fitness program. Include pictures.

Anybody going to West Point Game in New York? Send pictures. Read Walking on Eggshells (or how to navigate relationships with your adult children) by —

Jane Irsay.

Gentlemen, we are indeed, “playing the back nine”. Please feel free when you hear of a classmate who has passed to let me know and share some remembrances of him for this column that may not appear in his obituary. In

meantime, Check Your Six:: PSA, BR BMI, LDL, HDL, and glucose. Be well, do good work, and keep in touch and as the Roc would say, “Cheers!” Rick Celebration ofthe life ofPeter Fazio. In the back row are Shannon Gonsoulin, Ramsey Miller, Jude Terhall, and Bob Penry. Front row: Toni Gonsoulin, Andrea Miller, and Diane Fazio.

Ryan Denny 1635 Mary Todd Lane O’Fallon, IL 62269 H: (618) 624-4255 W: (314) 232-5117 E-mail: ryanden@aol.com

Jude Terhall: “I'm still working, live in the Dallas area, and plan to ‘retire’ next summer. Bob and I happened to be available for the weekend of Pete's service; we were good friends of Pete back at the Zoo, and decided to attend. About ayear ago I was contacted by Pete's daughter Andrea and asked to serve as a focal point for any

memories from Pete's 7th Squadron Academy friends. Andrea was only three years old when Pete had his brain tumor operation and she never really got to know the ‘real’ Pete even though this was about 25 years ago. So, she reasoned that his past

buddies' memories would be the best inputs she could obtain to bridge this gap.

This has been ongoing for a while and culminated with Pete's passing and service in May. Andrea got emails from about a dozen or so ofPete's classmates and she was very appreciative of this. This and our presence at the service helped Pete' s family get a lot of closure even though they have known for some time that he was a short timer on this earth. As for Bob, I'll let him reply ifhe wishes. But I know he is healthy, semi-retired in Colorado, and still breaking bones playing softball.

On April 19th, your humble scribe received this email entitled “Class News”.

“Rick: The catchy subject line is a guarantee that you will not delete this before opening. I do hope to get feedback. Let me explain... My late husband, —, was a member of the Class of 1967.1 have been pondering how I might meet an Academy grad, active or retired, to fill the empty space in my life... Even though I am a life 98

80 % Members

Greetings, Redtags! Once again, I’m sitting up here at 35,000 feet, with 220 of my fellow road warriors, on my way to LAX for a fun-filled week of meetings.

I know this must cause a flash of envy from those of you who have retired-

retired, butyou’ll just have to continue onyour 365-day vacations, keep playing with the grandkids, pursuing your hobbies, and get over it.

Hugh Gommel has retired a couple of times, and is combining work with play at Cirrus Aircraft in Las Vegas. Hugh describes himself as an “investor, owner, advocate, consultant, instructor, and adventurer.” The work part of this is instructor”, when Hugh teaches part time in the full motion, full visual Cirrus simulator in Vegas. The play part is all the rest of the stuff he gets to do— “

like helping build a newjet, the Cirrus Vision. Hugh says that the Cirrus jets have the most advanced avionics systems in general aviation, and their jets

have an “airframe parachute” (I guess this is for that occasion when you run

out of airspeed and ideas at the same time—you just push the “do over” button

and the chute deploys.) Hugh says he is having a ball with this third career, and welcomes anyone who wants to come to Las Vegas and see for themselves.

Someone who took him up on this offer was Ed Bielo, who stopped through Las Vegas on business and dropped in on Hugh. Ed owns his own company

time. It sounds like Mike got a lot of free help punching cattle or rounding up horses or whatever they do on Montana ranches. Vic Andrews said that he saw

grazing in the front yard about 15 feet from the front porch. Are you supposed to round those up, too? Whatever they all did, it sure looks like they had a fantastic time in a beautiful place. a bull moose

and travels all over the world representing various manufacturers. Hugh says that Ed is thriving in this international environment and always seems to know

exactly the right bottle of red wine to order or offer.

Ed Bielo and Hugh Gommel holding each other up in the bright lights ofLas

Vegas.

Another of our still-working classmates, Dan Cecil, writes that he is living in Littleton CO and working for Jeppesen. We figured out that, since Boeing bought Jeppesen a few years ago, Dan and I are working for the same company. Dan’s big news was that his youngest son, Stephen, just graduated from USAFA. The rest of Dan and Diana’s big family is doing pretty well, too. Brien, the oldest, is the Deputy DA for El Paso County in Colorado; Andrew graduated from West Point and is a major, flying Apache helicopters (Army version of a fighter pilot); David is the pastor of Richards Baptist Church in Texas, Carey is a secretary, and Stephen, as the squadron commander of23rd Squadron, got the squadron patch restored to its original version before he graduated with the Class of2008. That’s a little bit of the “Long Blue Line”!

Bubba and Suzanne Berry, Vic and Sue Andrews, Mike andAlida Rhynard, Mike(Hurtin) and CharHeenan give the “Big Three” sign after a day ofplaying

City Slicker at Mike’s ranch.

The 3rd Squadron crew and a lot of our DC classmates also pulled together to support Ken Funkhouser’s wife, Chris, and

family after Ken’s sudden death

at his home in Avon Lake OH.

During his 28-year Air Force career, Ken flew the F-102, F-106, and F-4 aircraft, and served in all of the staff jobs that the Air Force makes us do. He then had another full career working for Concurrent Technology Corp in Pennsylvania. After his second retirement in 2007, he moved to Avon Lake, near Cleveland OH. Ken was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on 2 Sept 2008. (See the “Gone but not Forgotten” section of this magazine.)

Another reminder that life is precious and we don’t control either the beginning or the end—just the middle. So, live it well. Until next time... Happy Landings!

Larry Wilson 13100 Pinehurst Ave. NE

Albuquerque, NM 87111 H: (505) 291-8949 E-mail: Lwilsn628@aol.com

Hola amigos

this, I am in Minnesota, departing tomorrow for a multi-family, multi- generational fishing trip in Canada, prior to the annual -

as I compose

trip I have made with The Boys (truly a euphemism as the years go on...). And I am doing this somewhat on the fly, as the deadline for submission crept up and will be upon me while I am out of the country, in “rustic” accommodations and out of e-contact. If I am missing anything pertinent that some ofyou may have sent to me my apologies, and I’ll catch it next quarter. However I think I have most notes etc so away we go....

A brief note about New Mexico’s spring and early summer: it started out hot and dry with all sorts of dismal Global Warming projections offires etc. Then- it seems that the monsoons arrived several weeks earlier than normal, and NM has had rain and humidity almost daily for much of July. There have been some fires, which are devastating to some but much less so than had been anticipated and feared. Now the Rio Grande and tributaries are flowing high, reservoirs are higher than for several past years all told, it is turning out to be a good summer in NM. And though I see news today of 5.4 level earthquake in southern California -1 hope thatyour summers are going OK weather-wise too.

As my wife and I drove to Minnesota from New Mexico, we visited Les and Jackie Jensen in Ankeny, Iowa perhaps our last opportunity to catch them there, as they are relocating to Madison,WI, to be closer to their kids and other family. I had located an old photo from our doolie year and among other things we chatted about how kind (?) the years have been to us. In our minds and diminished vision we have not changed a bit. (Photo at top of next -

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The Cecil Clan Carey, Brien, Steven (’08), David, Amy, Tracy, and Andrew.

They didn’t need Dan in this shot because all the boys look just like him!

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Ron Talcott writes that he and wife, Gigi, stumbled across some ’66 history

while eating at a restaurant near McChord AFB. They picked a flyer for the McChord Air Expo that had an article about the origins of the Academy’s Wings of Blue Parachute Team. The article said that the team was started by Cadet Pete Johnston and another cadet, who competed (and won) the Academy’s first gold medal in collegiate competition without the Academy’s permission. It seems that, in those days, sport parachuting was considered too dangerous to risk all the money that the Air Force had invested in us cadets. But once Pete won a few of these competitions, the Academy reconsidered and the Wings of Blue has become the most successful sport parachute team in the United States. Thanks, Ron, for that “I did not know that” (or at least didn’t remember it) story about Pete.

Both Mike Rhynard and Bill Berry sent e-mails and pictures from the latest Big Three (3rd Squadron) mini-reunion at Mike’s ranch in Montana. Bill said that they “worked hard and played hard”, and Mike said that they had a great

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column.)

Tom Griesser forwarded to me an article from Business Weekwhich featured our own Tom

Hepner. The story describes how he “.. .has always been an

after his time in the USAF, he went to Harvard business school, then worked for a major investment group. After several years there he became involved in newspaper-related financial activities. He subsequently was involved in merging some failing weekly newspapers into one successful one, which grew into a chain of weeklies. When that business was sold in about 2000, he moved to Colorado and bought a health-services company. He sold that in 2007, “retired” and subsequently moved to Florida where he is now

entrepreneur at heart”

Visit the AOG Web Site.

Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and more!

www.usafa.org

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And with that

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time to load up the truck for the trek into the wilds of Canada,

where we plan to spend the next several days catching many very large walland eyes and northern pike; eating our fill, sipping a variety of

beverages,

generally indulging in family-outdoor stuff, meanwhile attempting to avoid mosquitoes, gnats, sunburn, hangovers, family squabbles etc. I think you may get the picture...

Best wishes to all Vaya con Dios!

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Tim Davidson 9712 Hidden

Valley Road

Vienna, VA 22181-6094

(703) 255-5313 Fax: (703) 255-5377 E-mail: timd@erols.com

HELLO ’68! Greetings and best wishes for much success to General Norty Schwartz (USAFA ’73) in assuming the reins of the Air Force as our 19th Chief

of Staff. Also, a hearty '68 welcome to members of the Class of2008 as they join the honored ranks of the Long Blue Line.

Tim Reich, Les Jensen, LarryWilson, Jack Fry and Terry Broadway-allfrom the North Dakota contingent of basic cadets in ’63. Assess for yourself, and

apply to your current andformer states: each of is living proof that we are no differentfrom the steely-eyed zoomies that we were Back Then, and that none of us has changed a bit since then, exceptfor the better! involved with client relations of major investors. The article describes Tom as a “wheeler- dealer.”

Congratulations, Tom, on your successes.

Brief notes on some of our other guys: Jim White, retired and living in Califomia, recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of his marriage to Gayle. They had joined Ted and Tricia Legasey celebrating their 40th too. I don’t know of statistics of the number of ’67 grads who were married soon after graduation, or how are still married. Obviously some, and probably many. Conmany gratulations to all who have made it that long! And to those who have a few fewer years (Pat and I celebrated our 29th this past summer). Congratulations

REUNION NOTAM #5: LAST CALL! Our 40th Reunion is from 1 -5 October at the

Embassy Suites in Colorado Springs. Many thanks to Reunion Committee Chairman Gene Rose and our C-Springs-based crew for putting an excellent program together! You can purchase ’68 merchandise and football tickets on-line through the AOG website by clicking on Class Reunions. For specifics on the reunion and other class news, please check our class website at www.usafa68.org. Hope to see you there!

to you/us too.

We hope to catch up this summer with Abner and Patti

Haynes they are coming to New Mexico for a vacation and we plan to link up with them. They are retired and living in St George, Utah.

A note from Bob Muldrow: “John Olive placed in the top six or so for qualifor the Senior to in be held here Colorado The course was lying Open Springs. laid out to be very tough. I think John shot a 76 or 78, but considering only about 20 golfers broke 90 and the best score was 74, that was pretty good for a sixty year old.”

Roger Carleton confirmed what a number of us have discovered, that “This retirement ain't all bad...” Roger had just returned to Colorado from a period -

of catching trout in Montana.

On a sad note, Jim Davies passed away in early July. A Memorial Service was planned at the United Methodist Church in Azle, TX in July and at the Academy on August 15th. There was consideration of a fly-by as part of the funeral service at the Academy but at the time of my writing I do not know if that had been set up. To Caron and Jim’s family and friends sincere sympathy.

Consistent with that note this from Em Monda: My son is a Boy Scout and we plant small American Flags at the graves ofveterans at ZacharyTaylor Cemetery here in Louisville to honor our US veterans who served our country in both peacetime as well as war time. There is a ceremony with a color guard and the playing of taps. Several hundred Scouts participate each year and it is one of the things that make the Boy Scouts such a great organization... Em’s son is “... close to becoming an Eagle Scout... and Em is clear in describing that Em’s own outdoor and scouting skills had little to do with that...

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Alex Monda, Eagle Scout candidate, planting memorialflags on veterans’ graves at the Zachary Taylor cemetery in Louisville.

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’68 Gives Donation to FAC Association. From left are Jim Palmer (President, FAC Association), Bob Sallee, Rhip Worrell, Steve McPhail, andAlBlumberg.

FAC MEMORIAL DONATION: On 15 April, members of the FAC Association and the USAFA Class of1968 gathered on the site ofthe2008 FAC Memorial for the

presentation of a donation of $10,000 from the Class of1968. The Class made the donation to honor ofthe five classmates we lost flying the Forward Air Controller Mission in Southeast Asia: John E. Duffy, John L. Ryder, Willis G. Uhls, Paul V “Skip” Jackson, III, and Ted B. Hallenback. The Class’

generosity represents

the largest cash donation received by the 2008 FAC Memorial Committee. As you may recall from my last column, buses will be provided at the Embassy Suites for those who wish to attend the dedication of the FAC Memorial.

CLASSMATE FOUND! Through the impetus of the lost classmate search conducted by Gene Rose, Bob Daley, and Pat McBride, I made contact with Colonel DeVere Henderson (USAFA ’63), who is the brother of our classmate, Don Henderson. After a flurry of phone calls and an e-mail or two, Don and I reconnected over the phone after some 40 years since our last conversation. When asked what he had been doing for the last 40 years, Don provided a brief summary. After graduating from pilot training at Moody AFB, Don flewKC-135s at GriffissAFB, NY and then volunteered for a tour in C-7As at Cam Rhan Bay. For the end-of-tour trip home from Vietnam, he volunteered to ferry one of 15 C-7A Caribous back to the States guided by a C-130 on the five-stage island-hopping trip to Hamilton AFB near San Francisco, CA. On the last and longest leg, one engine seized to a halt near the half-way point while flying at 10,000 feet in the middle of the night. The aircraft could not maintain altitude and descended to level flight at 3,700 ft. above the water.

After flying for 13 more hours in mostly IFR conditions, the fuel bladders were empty, and the fuel gages were pegged on “E”. The aircraft had reached the Farallon Islands about 25 miles off the California coast. Clearance had been given to fly under the Golden Gate Bridge, and emergency actions were being taken to clear segments of beach and freeway for landing. After ditching, they exited through the cargo door and were picked up by a Coast Guard vessel within minutes. Don was trapped and entangled in cockpit debris in the submerged aircraft nose and was rescued by Air Force divers only two minutes before the fuselage disappeared beneath the water’s surface.

After leaving the Air Force in 1973, Don went to work as an first on

engineer

safety equipment and then on air-delivered weapons for the Navy. Next, he worked on weapon systems at General Dynamics Convair Division where he was employed as a mechanical test engineer. This was followed by employment as a contract engineer for job shop agencies where his positions included stress analysis engineer and mechanical test engineer. For the past 14 years, Don has worked as an independent Christian missionary in the Puget Sound area. He authored the book God Signs The Bible in a Nutshell, which was published in 2007.

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Lindsey Parris 616 King’s Cloister Circle Alexandria, VA 22302 Home: (703) 836-3604 E-mail:

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102177.1033@compuserve.com Top of the fall to you all. May the Falcons be off to a resounding start in this new season and all your seasonal colors crystalline and brilliant. I’ve been away from the DC area for 3 Vz months and am not equipped as fully as I should be to offer the usual update, but here goes with what I do have and know.

Apologies if I omit anything of import.

The latest “really big” event for the Class was the retirement of Maj. Gen. Charlie Baldwin from active duty on a sparkling day in late May at the AF Memorial overlooking the Pentagon andWashington DC.. Charlie was our last Grey Tag on active duty, and his last day in uniform represents a watershed for both him and the Class of 1969. AF CSAF Gen Buzz Moseley did the honors for our Classmate, one of the few blue suiters ever who wore both pilot’s wings and the chaplain’s cross. Charlie stated three primary lessons he had learned in his long, distinguished career: (1) God is faithful and always present, (2) we are a family in so many ways and forms, and (3) being a Chaplain is great service. He ended his remarks with a prayer: “May the Lord bless you, and keep you, and give you his peace. Amen. In the words of Darrel Whitcomb, in attendance with many ’69ers, “Tail end Charlie concluded his great Air Force career with grace and style.” Godspeed to you, Charlie Baldwin, and to all of those who took their oaths on June 4,1969. ”

Take Me Out to the Ball Game! From left are Marty Cole and Buck McCants at Wrigley Field.

Marty Cole has a number of "quests"

—

sort of like a "Bucket List" but just a

little bit different. One of these is to visit all of the Major League Baseball stadiurns. As Buck McCants notes,

“Marty has graciously allowed me to participate.

We knocked out Wrigley Field in Chicago and Miller Park in Milwaukee in July of2007. In 2008, we visited Yankee Stadium (which will soon be torn down), Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and the new Nationals Stadium in Washington, DC.” If anyone lives near one of the stadiums and would like to help Marty and Buck fulfill their quest, please drop them a line.

BUMPED INTO IN TAMPA: While on my pilgrimage to US Special Operations’ “Mecca” in Tampa to participate in a SOF conference for Industry in May, I bumped into Lindsey Bierer. Lindsey and I had not seen each other since the Academy and enjoyed catching up on what we had been doing over the past 40 years. Lindsey is now a Principal for Energy and Environmental Business Development for Keystone Government Services in Poway, CA. Lindsey and I were joined by Charlie Coolidge and Charlie Holland, who were also in attendance.

Charlie and Ann Baldwin are flankedfrom left by Don Rakestraw, Dave

Astle, Waly Moorhead, Bugs Forsythe, Jeff Grime, Ron Love, and Darrel Whitcomb.

GoneFishiri! From left are CarlJanssen andBobBeanblossom with Catch of the Day. The photo was snapped at Bob Beanblossom's private operation about 10 miles south of Leadville, CO in June. Their place is called Mount Massive Lakes and it sits up above the Arkansas River. As Carl Janssen writes, “The mountains to the west are spectacular and so is the fishing! For you nonfishermen, those are all rainbow trout ranging from 2 to 4 pounds. Occasionally, Bob serves as a fly fishing guide in Colorado and is very knowledgeable on the subject. For classmates who would like to grab a pole and drop a line, Bob and wife, Julie, would be glad to have classmates and families

Skip Daley attended the Memorial Day Ceremony honoring Alexandrians listed on that Virginia city’s Vietnam Memorial. Skip read the name of “Captain George B. (Barry) Lockhart, USAF” during the roll call.

Tom Oliver has moved from his position as CEO of Game Ready, about which you have read in these pages, to COO of NEXT Proteins, the makers of Designer Whey, America’s top-selling (and best-tasting, according to Tom) whey-based nutritional product. (What does whey taste like, Tom?) He and Marti and the girls decamped from greater Oakland down the coast to the Carlsbad area and are now settled in fully to accommodate visitors and take NEXT to bigger things yet.

Four ’69er bikers took part in the Bicycle Tour of Colorado this summer. Rick Olafson, Flip Keck, Dennis Ryll, and Jim Downey took a week to do over 400

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stop by.

PRAYERS REQUESTED: Bob and Thuy Johnston ’s daughter Carolyn has been diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APML) and is undergo-

ing chemotherapy at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) in Philadelphia. In addition, I received word on the death of our classmate John Cobb in April. Please keep the Johnston and Cobb families in your prayers.

THAT’S A WRAP: Please join us for our 40th reunion! Mind the flak; keep ’em flying, and keep those cards, letters, e-mails, and photos coming in to Pat Russell and me. Please go to the Class Website to see photos included in this column in color and in full size. Ciao for now. Tim

Rick, Jim, Dennis, and Flip during a quiet interlude—morefit than most!

101

miles riding into beautiful vistas and cranking up gnarly hills. Flip, Dennis, and Jim are doing it again next year, hoping to rope others (John Buckner was in Memphis and couldn’t join. Steve Kirby was biking Idaho’s trails, Chip Ambrose playing golf in Ireland, Dan Thomas hoarding gasoline to fly his T-34, and Jimmy Cummings making weddingpreparations-or they would certainly have been along for the ride, too) into next year’s extravaganza of ascents and descents in spectacular settings.

Jim leads Learning and Organizational development for CF12M HILL, a large, employee-owned engineering and construction company with large projects such as rebuilding the Panama Canal. Jim travels around the world helping the company’s 26,000 employees with people issues. The company was #54 on the Fortune Best Places to Work list. Linda and Jim have 10 acres not far from Castle Rock, home of the Doll Baby Lounge which, according to Jim, turned into a used care lot two years ago. Ahh, the memories. Who among us did not

stop there at least once during our USAFA days for a cool one en route to the Zoo after partying in Denver?

Hip, Buck, Tom Fleming, and Brian Nelson met for a round of golf on U SAFA’s Blue course before Brian’s synched up with three other Seagram’s Seveners for a week in Steamboat Springs. I understand July’s upticks on the seismic readings in Steamboat correlated with Glenn Schlabs dancing to Brian’s over-5000song iPod.

Barry Creighton and Jeff Stephenson spent a week sailing together in June on Barry’s 37’ “Crew Rest,” which according to Barry proves that once you’ve stood against the wall with a buddy in whitey-tighteys and a towel, you can do most anything together.

The occasion was the annual gathering of DickersonYacht owners to determine the fastest Dickerson in the world. Team 69 placed second, by two seconds, losing out due to cancellation of one leg of the race. But, by not winning outright, Barry can sail again next year and (more important) he doesn’t have to serve as Commodore of the Dickerson Association for the next 12 months.

Barry and Jeff both work full time, Barry with Lockheed-Martin and Jeff with CSX Railroad. Judy helped with some ofthe crewing during the cruising parts of the trip, and Jeff and Julie are once again riding the 150 miles for MS, in Florida’s summer heat.

Endowment, 1975 Research Parkway, Suite 300, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.”

Both of these qualify as charitable organizations, and both have been created

specifically for the purpose of funding the Center. Update letter coming as soon as the smoke has cleared.

Cheers until next time.

Lindsey

Dick Rauschkolb

130 Luxury Lane Colorado Springs, CO 80921 H: (719) 761-5764

Cell: (719) 310-6928 Email: AOG70@comcast.net Richard Rauschkolb@usafa.edu

By the time you read this, Falcons will probably have played two or three games. But as I sit here in mid-August, I am getting really excited about this year’s team. I have talked to Coach Calhoun and attended several practices. There is no doubt that we are going to be a very young team with an unproven quarterback. It will be hard to match last year’s great success by Troy and his superb staff. Nevertheless, I have noticed that the team is in great shape and much leaner than in past years. Looks like we are going for speed more than size. Unfortunately, the injury bug has already hit two key players—Travis Dekker and Ty Paffet. They may not be available until the end of September. BYU is once again the class ofthe league. We get to play the top teams in the conference— BYU and Utah at home. We had a great recruiting year and the Prep School has provided some great players including a potential super QB. I think we can go 7-5 or 6-6 this year and hopefully go to a bowl again. The support of many of you and others in the graduate community in purchasing tickets last year may pay big dividends this yearwhen it comes bowl selection time. Army and Navy are toast—I guarantee it! CIC Trophy will be coming back to its rightful home at USAFA! Hooah!

Got a great note from Ron Kelly. The Air Force Society of Washington arranged a memorial ceremony at the Air Force Memorial near the Pentagon on the Wednesday evening of this year’s graduation. Terry Weimar, ’71, and our own Dave Sterling conducted the ceremony with assistance from Yogi Royce.

The ceremony involved the reading the 53 names of graduates who died over Are you ready for some football?!

the past year. Ron indicated that this was Dave’s idea and he carried it to fruition. The wreath that you see in the photo was presented by the oldest grad there and the youngest cadet in attendance. This was the start of a great a tradition. Mega-kudos Dave for starting something so meaningful and that will last after we are not here.

Move over Hemingway! Jeffand Barry asea.

Norris “Junior” Boyd (you all remember his 427 'Vette with lake pipes from days of yore! I participated in one stirring bit of motoring with him one day) is

busy with his Boyd/Wilson Property Management company developing projects in Pennsylvania and British Columbia. On the side, he spends time in the mountains of eastern Washington, often with his hunting dogs. He and Barbara are anticipating their first grandchild, and two daughters Heather and Erin have a global footprint, the former a guidance counselor in an elementary school in the Spokane Valley and the latter finishing her dissertation in Economics from the University of London.

Denny Jones writes blissfully of his nearly27,000 flyinghours in a variety of aircraft, and of his retirement. Says “Pam is still flying and he is still retired.

Wonderful system.”

If you are planning to attend a football game at the Zoo this year, then think about picking the 15 November for the BYU game. Falcon head coach Troy Calhoun, who is emphasizing connecting with grads, especially those who played football, invited Dick Swanson to be an honorary captain for a game this fall, so Swanie will be on the field in mid-November.

On a sad note, please know that Marc Enger’s wife, Suzanne, passed away on June 16,2008 in San Antonio. Many ofyou, especially Harry Evans and Jerry

Ball, who roomed with Marc duringtheir 1st quarter at UCLA in the summer of’69, have known Suzanne for some four decades, and know she was the light of Marc’s life. Please remember her in your thoughts and prayers.

The 40th Reunion Class gift has encountered a hiccup or two due to escalating costs. So, now would be a good time to contribute ifyou haven’t already,

ifyou have! In addition to the AOG’s Class of 1969 40th Reunion Gift Fund, to which contributions to date have been directed, the new USAFA Endowment can also accommodate contributions, whose principal will earn or to double up

interest in behalf of the Gift until spent. You know how to contribute to the former. To contribute to the latter, endorse the contribution to the “USAFA

Endowment" and include on the Note Line “Class of 1969 Admissions Weicome Center” or “Class of 1969 40th Reunion Gift Fund.” Mail to “USAFA 102

Seventy Men Part ofInaugural Memorial Ceremony in DC. From left are Yogi Royce, Terry Weimer, 71, Dave Sterling, Doug Carlson, and Ron Kelly.

Rumor has it that Wild Wood Woodhead, my very good friend from CS-15 days, retired from the AFL-CIO in May. The AFL-CIO President, Mr. Sweeney, praised Wood for his generous and enthusiastic support of the organization for over 17 years and praised his many contributions to the organizations’ growth in a number of key areas.. His great sense of humor was naturally mentioned as well as his geographical knowledge oflocal union locales around the country—and associated nearby bars and eateries. Dr. Woodhead certainly made many contributions to a key part ofAmerican society—the AFL-CIO. Hey Wood—did they give you the framed picture of the “Masterpiece” that

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY! YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. CALL THE AOG FOR INFO.

Chuck Gray and I signed? Chip Terrill, Oker O’Connor, and Ron Kelley attended the ceremony. Woody also celebrated the big Six-Oh birthday recently and several classmates and their significant others attended a party at George Keys’ beautiful home in DC.

On 6 August our Legacy Class, 2010, had a dinner in Mitchell Hall to make their

formal commitment to serve our nation. This is a relatively new tradition. I got a little emotional watching over 1,000 young men and women take the Oath of Office in these times of war. Thought back to when we were cadets and hearing the names ofmembers of the Class of 1967who had trained us being read from the staff tower after they had made the supreme sacrifice in SEA. I was very proud to see so many classmates turn out for the ceremony. It was also pretty neat to get a big hug from C2C Brian O’Connor, Oker’s son. He has his Dad’s sense of humor. He said to me, “Well it looks like I am stuck now— just like my brother at West Point.” Know the O’Connor’s are proud of their boys—as is the Class of 1970!

The attendees had their picture taken in front of our last class gift—the Memorial Wall at Doolittle Hall.

Oh yes, I got a part time teachingjob in the Academy’s English Department.

Am teaching Doolies how to write (hopefully better thanIdo!).Itisa thrill and honor to be back in the classroom with these great young cadets. My contact info at work should be in the box at top of article.

As always, am proud to be a member of the Class of 1970! Hope to see some ofyou at some games this year! Arriba Falcones!

WildWood enjoys 60th with classmates.

Paul D. Knott

Shared a beer with Jim Bechtel at the U SAFA golf course a few weeks ago. I

hoping to play a round with him, but something popped up at the last minute. It was good to see Jim after many years. He lives in beautiful Annapolis, but is working with the Navy in DC. He has taken his fair share of hits the last fewyears over AF losses to Navy—not this year! Ron and Mona Volkmar are in Las Vegas. Ron is into big time cycling. Sorry I missed you on your trip here.

Had a great time playing golf with Mike Kelley a few weeks ago. My P-school classmate and I shared lots of laughs over a great dinner that Mike hosted for Marilyn and me. We both had a super time! I knew letting Mike beat me on the links would have some benefit! Mike mentioned Paul Catosh’s son or daughter was getting married near the Grand Tetons in August and Mike planned to attend. Mike said he visited Gregg Popovich in San Antonio and also saw Ed Rashid. Seems Ed had incurred some type of major injury riding a mountain was

bike—he is back in the saddle now. Mike Torreano bowed out of the Bechtel golf match due to a “strained groin” from playing softball. Those “strained groin” muscles can be a problem at our age men. I strained mine a few weeks ago just reaching for the remote with my foot. Laid me up for weeks!

Tooey Emery and Gary Dahlen met with the Academy architect to discuss our class gift and the design of the Vietnam Pavilion. This is going to be awesome classmates. Make a pledge now—we need to make this project a reality

by our next Reunion.

Chuck Weir took his sorry golf game to Coronado for two weeks and said it got worse! He is gearing up for the influx of8,000 freshmen at Arizona State.

Chuck took it upon himself to organize all the sororities to give him a hand.

You’re too late buddy—that might have been a great job at age 25—not at 62!

You probably remind those girls of their grandfathers!

For you Prep Schoolers, I have been in touch with Dave Sabey. We chatted on the phone several weeks ago. As you may know, Dave has been very successful in the construction business in Seattle. He is assisting me in raising funds for a movie about the Academy and the values it teaches— Wings of Honor (www.wingsofhonormovie.com). Dave is very supportive of the project and was very straightforward about how the Prep School had a tremendous positive impact on his life and the success he has achieved. Mike Kelley also said that former Preppie, Charlie Hall, was also a successful businessman in Seattle and has remained close to Dave.

I made my annual Memorial Day visit to the cemetery. Always sad to see classmates and good friends in their final resting place—and the numbers grow everyyear.

Seventy Honors 2010 at Commitment Dinner. From left in the back row are C3C Kevin Hodges (our escort), Skip Penny, Dave Gaw, Gary Dahlen, Jack Mueller, and Bob Snead. Frontrow: JoeKupko, BillKirkman, The Phantom, and Larry Bush. Greg Gilles and Brian Pendergast were there but missed this photo op.

53% Members

5565 Lantana Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80920 H: (719) 570-9162

W: (719) 594-0100

E-mail:

pk71knott@gmail.com

If you were ever a FAC or knew Richard Gray or Mark Peterson, there will be a Forward Air Controller Memorial dedicated

during the 2008 FAC National

Convention here in the Springs, 1-5 Oct. One of the least enjoyable duties of a Class Scribe is to inform you that our

ranks are diminished. Stetson Cowan passed away in July. His and my first

assignments were to Vance AFB. He definitely “Flew with Relish!” Ifyou need information on how to express your condolences to Tess, please let me know.

On a much happier note, one of the newest adjunct professors of English at the Academy is our own Darryl Wimberley. The plan is to stay for a year and do as much as possible to produce not only proficient writers but critical thinkers in the Air Force ranks. As you who know him can imagine, he and some of the junior instructors have already had definite differences of opinion. One of the young lieutenants was describing how her favorite actor “accidently” imitated another actor in a dramatic scene. Darryl patiently explained, from his perspective as a screen writer, that, with the costs of movie production, that nothing gets on screen by accident. Of course, his insider’s knowledge did nothing to sway her ignorance. If all else fails, Darryl will be able to display his trophy as the first winner of the Willie Morris Prize for Southern Fiction, which he will receive in October.

In my last column, I mentioned Darryl’s essay about Leon White. A spouse from another class was kind enough to thank me for mentioning it. Then she casually mentioned that of course we had informed his family about this tribute. Well... After a couple of abortive efforts to find them, I appeal to all ofyou now; if any ofyou have kept in touch with any members of the White family, please either make a point of contacting them and forwarding the original memory on behalf of Leon’s class or get me the contact information.

Nick and Mike Stooke’s son, Adam, graduated in May. In the words of his proud parents, “Adam graduated #3 academically in the USAFA Class of2008.

His GPA missed #1 by .02! He completed a dual major in Physics and Mathematics in the Scholars Program and received the awards for the" Outstanding Cadet in Basic Sciences" and" Outstanding Cadet in Applied Physics." He also was selected for a Hertz Foundation Fellowship which is funding for five years

Nick, Mike, andAdam Stooke with Patricia Gallagher (Basic SciencesAward presenter.

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of PhD study. His first AF assignment will be to attend the University of Califomia at Berkeley to work on his master's degree in Physics. After that, the plan is for him to do a stint with an AF lab, then return to finish his PhD. We have no idea where he got his academic abilities, but we are very proud of him! (His sponsor family in the Colorado Springs area was one of Nick's former roommates, Larry Smith, and his wife, Suzanne.)

The first paragraph mentioned Dick Gray. Tann Pinney attended a special ”

Memorial Day tribute to Dick and 66x other residents ofthe Alexandria, VA area who died in the Vietnam War. An Update to last summer’s mention of Bob “Skiman” Peterman. He had been hiking the Appalachian Trail. I’m happy to report that he and his sister covered over 1,000 miles on foot from Southwest Virginia in May to Maine in August oflast year. He finished 30 pounds lighter and with memories that will last a lifetime.

Speaking of updates, Harry Davis spent some more time in the hospital since the last column. His blood pressure readings had really gotten out of hand, and he spent another round in the ICU. He and Cindy would really appreciate hearing from you guys. Perhaps, Harry, you should stay away from Falcon Stadium this fall. I understand that this year’s team may have the least experience since, oh, 1957!

53%

Bob Bell

Members

13 Pacific Ave.

Sinking Spring, PA 19608 (610) 678-3182/Fax: 678-4513

Denise has purchased a memorial bench through the AOG and she will be

dedicating it to Terry’s memory. I know, how could one pass up a bench for Bench? Although Terry’s remains were cremated in Florida where he was a long-time resident, we plan on a memorial service at the Academy cemetery as a fitting tribute and a moving experience for Terry’s family. If you care to join us for the golf tournament please let Jim Reed know ASAP. Finally, Denise sent a reply, “Hi Roger. I would not want to use any class funds that classmates have donated to the academy for the boys. At this point in time, I am only requesting that Terry’s buddies and former classmates help us to honor him and to demonstrate to

Danny and David that their dad was a great guy, well liked and respected by many. I’d rather everyone thoroughly enjoy the weekend of golf as simply a game to enjoy with Terry’s boys, nothing more. Have fun cheering for the Falcons, and then pay final respect to Terry Thanks for all you have at the chapel event and visit the memorial “bench. done to help me convey this message. Denise” In other news, a class of ’75 member, Jim Carlson, relayed a request to our class and some nice comments as well. He would like to have any photos that members of’72 may have covering the Class of’75 BCT summerwhen we were ”

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Firsties. Even after some 37 years, Jim said he wanted to express what many of

his class still feel, that they got a good solid start from us and a lot ofwhat they were exposed to those first six weeks stood them in good stead through the four years at the Zoo, in their later careers, and their personal lives. He closed stating that we were good role models... what better compliment from one class to another! Anyone who may wish to send photos can forward them through me, and I will see that Jim and ’75 gets to see what evidence there is of that beastly summer.

Our classmates were part of this year’s Acceptance Parade for the Class of 2012.

E-mail: rabell767@aol.com

We have some great news from our class in recent Acceptance Day ceremonies. Additionally, we have the planned Terry Bench Memorial Weekend Golf-

ing Event set up for September 19-21 in conjunction with the USAFA- Utah football game.

Dave Kerber reports that he in running for the Colorado State House of Representatives, District HD-38 which includes Littleton, Greenwood Village and

Englewood. He says that one ofthe benefits of having to raise money for his campaign is that he has had the opportunity to talkwith a number of the Big Blue. Just a few of the guys include TJ Mancuso, attorney in Denver; Pete Harry, attorney in Dallas, TX; Greg Anderson, the Executive Director ofWings Over the Rockies; andTimo Sullivan, retired. Additionally, Dave has been around the Frat Fivers who have been supporting his

campaign: Smokey Stover, apparently retired from American Airlines; John Fuss, working with Lockheed Martin in New Mexico; Gary Grant, retired; Don MacNiven, living right outside the North Gate of USAFA; and Pete Vogel, New York Port Authority.

There will be a golf outing. That is all the die-hard duffers need to hear. But in this case, the links will be full offolks who are there for a dual purpose the golf -

will ensue, but in addition will be the celebration of a life

that of our dear friend Terry Bench. A brief dialogue ensued in the effort to set this event in motion.

First, there was Harvey LeCato’s e-mail to all class addressees (that we currently know of) informing them of the upcoming September Golf Event. The actual drivers on this event where Harvey’s e-mail originated include Doug Hill, Jim Reed and Roger Parsons, just to name a few.

Class President Scotty Sturman followed up with a short paragraph defining the query on the subject of possibly using the Class Fund to assist the children of deceased grads with their undergraduate education, mentioning how the amount would have to be at a level that would not jeopardize our ability to conduct class business and insure our class could consistently support future scholarships. Amounts would be determined upon further review by the Class Treasurer to ascertain legality and recommend the amount.

Roger Parsons then responded to Scotty with some details: “I thinkyour idea is a good one. For the benefit of our classmates who might have been a bit confused from the e-mail Harvey forwarded from Doug Hill, permit me to elaborate.

Terry Bench was one of my roommates when we were in “Fightin’ Fourth Squadron. As many of you know, “Bunch” as he was affectionately known by his 4th Squadron classmates, was a great golfer and a wonderful guy that would do anything for his buddies. He was struck down by cancer and left a wonderful wife in Denise and two great young sons in Danny age 15andDavidage 12.

A few ofhis squadron mates and fellow classmates thought it would be a good idea to come out to the Zoo, have Denise and the boys as our guests, and celebrate Terry and our memories of him.

Fellow Fourth Squadron classmate andgolfteam member, Jim Reed, who lives near the Academy, has been making arrangements for us to have a golftournament on Friday, Sept. 19,2008 at the Academygolf course. The tee time willlikelybeearly in the afternoon so those coming from out of town can come in Friday morning.

While not the main purpose ofthe tournament, we hope to take in some donations from the participants for an education fund for Danny and David.

On Saturday many of us will be attending the Air Force Utah game scheduled for a 2 p.m. MT start and have a tailgate party before the game.

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In the back rowfrom left are Sandy Lewis, GregAnderson, Bob Waller, Harvey

LeCato, Kurt Chamberlin, Al Sellers, and Chuck Winter. Kneeling: George

Pollard, Doug Hill, and Ralph “Buzz"Allen.

In the year 2000 the Academy initiated a new tradition called the Legacy

Class. The Class of 1964 was the first Legacy Class for the Class of2004. The Legacy Class participates in major events with the younger class, for example, the Acceptance Parade, Recognition, Exemplar Dinner, Commitment Dinner, Ring-Dining Out and Graduation. At this year’s Acceptance Parade on August 6th, 10 of our Classmates ceremoniously presented copies of Contrails to the 10 outstanding basic cadets, one from each of the 10 basic squadrons.

Members ofClass ofl 972 presenting Contrails to Members of Class of2012.

By the way, our Class paid for the printing of the 1,300 copies. Additionally, Harvey LeCato addressed the Class of 2012 with a motivational speech. (Alas, we are up to our word limit for this column, and Harvey’s words will have to wait until the Checkpoints Class News, Fall edition in November. Be on the lookout for it!)

Visit the AOG Web Site.

Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and more!

www.usafa.org

the two CD set. If

Joe Kahoe

at

4140 Saddle Rock Road

info@lucidtechnologies.info.

Vance Watt

Members

Colorado Springs, CO 80918

anyone is interested in obtaining ”

copies, please contact me

(CS-01): “I decided to skip the

merger with Delta (been through three already!). I gave up my spot as the most senior NWA 73 who stood in line behind me grad to Rick West, on 1 in day June 23rd, 1969, was in same UPT class, and we flew in the same C-130 squadron for a year at Pope AFB. Tom Schuessler is now one seniority number at NW, behind Rick, and both stick around a few more plan to years as they have offspring who are college bound.

Cell: (719) 210-5568

joekahoe@gmail.com

http://73.texascomputerhelp.com Class of 73, thankyou for your great inputs. Nowlookingfor reunion stories and pictures for the Winter edition. We have limited space in Checkpoints, but all inputs will be included on our web version of the http://usafa73.org. Respectfully, Joe Kahoe, CS-07. Checkpoints article at Congrats to our newest four-star and commander of AETC, General Steve Lorenz! (Web site for more

pictures.)

Vance Watt and Rick West at

Mike Hay. a

..

In the FWIW

Vance’s retirement

after 28.5 years atNW.

department, I just discovered and joined this site, as

way to re-connect with some

ZoomieNation_Redirect.aspx Rick

quality people, http://www.usafa.org/

Karvosky “After four months of dust storms and artillery shells rocking my bed at night, I finally gave up and took an assignment at Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi, UAE as the Civil I Engineer again. was supposed to be gone last but we had four Friday, of dust ...

From left are Mike and Sandra Mosier, Skip (seated) and Joanne Paul and Jane Freund, Steve and Sanders, Leslie Lorenz, Mike Nishimuta, Bruce and Janet Meyer, and Bob and Pam Munson.

Congrats

to General

Norty Schwartz for being confirmed by the Senate on Aug 1st as our next USAF Chief of Staff!

Also, hearty congratulations to William L.

Thompson, who was selected by and chief executive officer. president According to the AOG press release, “Known as‘T’ to his classmates and friends, he brings years of experience to the AOG as an award-winning entrepreneur, airline pilot, community and government leader, tax attorney, and public speaker.” We know he’ll do a great job at the helm of the AOG. Mike Smith is in his last quarter of classes for his PhD... comps this fall and will start his dissertation research inJan09.Mikeisalso working with the Academy's Center for Character and the AOG as it’s new

Leadership

doing study on character development as aDevelopment, result of the

a

experience. Mike was President of bd Systems until Academy bought by SAIC, where he is now a VP in Colorado Springs.

Tom and Jane Kroessiglive Peachtree City, GA. “I am coping with chronic health problems and am on long term disability from Delta Air Lines. I am an Ambassador Field Director for Promise Keepers. One of my passions is to work for

days

storms and the Blackhawks

were on weather hold! did at Dhafta from 2003-06. It' 11 be good to to a more civilized and get back normal life! Wish I could make it to the 35th it'll be the first I'll miss. I was at the 10th, 20th, 25th and 30 th! I'll be at the 40th. I here only a year and then call it plan to stay and go back to Nantucket and quits boat rental business and work buy a small only Memorial Day to Labor Day from then on!

Nantucket is where my significant other lives. Denise was my senior prom date and" dropped" me when I entered the Academy that summer and I had not seen her until she sent me an email through Classmates.Com in Sept 2006 37 years later! We've been together ever since!”

From Doug and Ruth Richter (CS-35): “Our daughter Kari married Dec 2007, and our son Nick Jeff in married Kharissa in June this year. Ruth was promoted to a new job at the local hospital. Doug passed the professional neers exam and is engito moving

I'll be doing the same work I

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”

Fredericksburg, VA.

unity among churches in this area. Jane works part time for a company called Vetrimark, selling products to veterinarian

offices and is a costumer for theater in Atlanta. Our older daughter, Katie, lives in Boca Raton and workscompanies for Boston Out Proper. younger daughter, Amy, is about to start her freshman year at Methodist Spartanburg where she will be a College, SC, goalie on the women's soccer team.”

Rev. Msgr. Steve Rossetti, PhD DMin (CS-37): Steve haskroessig4@aol.com been a for over a year and he is still Monsignor at St Luke Institute in ministering Silver as a Catholic Spring, MD priest and its CEO... 16 years at same location. Steve is also a licensed psychologist and works with priests and religious in the residential psychological treatment program, called St Luke Institute He had a July 4th BBQ at his home and Dave Oclimanek and Lt.(www.sli.org).

Gen Frank Klotz, both from CS-37, came, with Dave is still working at RAND, a think spouses. tank, doing defense

analysis.

Craig E. Lady (CS-16) and his fiancee, Ann

estant Cadet

Martin, were married in the Prot-

Chapel during our reunion by our former cadet retired Chaplain (Col) Bob chaplain, now’59.

Browning, New email for Ernest Butler is emest.butler@disa.mil Ernie DSN 227-9971.

Steve Harmon is the Program Executive Officer for Preparation and at SOCOM, where he Training works with folks like Lt Gen Don Wurster at AFSOC. He is planning a family reunion with his folks in Seattle for —

and Mom 88). “Dinner is on

me when folks come

Thanksgiving (Dad 92

through Tampa.” daughter, F-15E pilot, at Tyndall. Went to Steve Lorenz's promotionWright’s and CoCat Randolph. Itwasavery good time.

Skip Sanders recently hosted Orville

Brian Beard... “I was in the Cadet Chorale and after graduation obtained a copy of the reel-to-reel of the June Week Chorale recording Concert from Mr. Boyd, our director. I recently rediscovered the tapes, and digitized to CDs. I also had some other recordings of Choral and Chapel Choirs that I added to

Roger Smith andAJRanft taken in May at a bar in Rome celebrating the 35th their anniversary of European road trip the summer after graduation. AJ's wife, Andree, and Roger’s wife, Jackye, to tagged along help them relive their youth.

After nine years with United

in Louisville, KY as

Airlines, Joe Mitchell (CS36) is nowwiththeFAA

Acting Manager for General Aviation in the FSDO. They went nearby daughter Stephanie’s family. Their son as a Joey left the AF captain after 10 years and is now at Balad AB in Iraq as an IT contractor.

Buddy Gammon won his Primary election July 15th so will be on the Nov. 4 General Election Ballot as a candidate for U.S Congress from Georgia, the 11th District. to Louisville to be

Budgammon.com.

Fred Beckmann does risk management for Northrop Grumman at BWI. Loves to travel and stay proficient in languages...

Happily married... Two at Univ of Maryland and one at Georgia Tech earning his master’s. boys one Flashback: On Dec. 9,1971, Don was the designated wing representative to speak at the dedicationRightmyer of the Minuteman III missile in front of the field house... awesome photo on our web site.

Our heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to Mike Harmon, whose Renee, was buried in the Academy Cemetery on Aug 2nd next to her wife, brother, -

Greg Renko, who was laid to rest two years ago. Mike and Greg had been roommates in CS-28 and a number oftheir classmates attended including John Thompson, Mike Tillman, Harry Walker, Jack Hower, Chuck Stewart, Bob Munson, and Bill Gillin.

48%

Joe Brezovic 1209

Bayou Oaks Drive Friendswood, TX 77546 H: (281) 482-6860 E-mail: jbrezovic@comcast.net

Members

Another classmate trying to be a permanent member in Colorado Springs in our USAFA behalf is Steve Malutich. As of this

writing, Steve is in charge ofthe Texas School of Business in Houston, Texas. The parent company is Kaplan Higher Education Corporation, part of Kaplan, Inc, which is part of the Washington Post organization.

Here’s a new email and face to the news. After 34 years Ray Haile sent in an

update! Ray was inspired by seeing in the last 'Checkpoints' Hank, Cat and Kerls (“three guys I used to know in a previous life”). Ray attached a picture of his family (daughter Cortney, son Mike, wife, Susie) after finishing the Marine Corps Marathon last fall.

Hello Classmates around the globe!

We had our classmate Duncan McNabb as the U SAF Chief of Staff! Congratu-

lations Duncan! Within a few days! The Air Force Secretary then requested Duncan to become the Commander of TRANSCOM, utilizing all the experience he had while in charge of Air Mobility Command (AMC), but implementing his skills, knowledge, and training to mobilize the joint command forces and logistics. Over at AMC, Chris Kelly is the Vice-Commander. Dave Daley remarked once that he had to review AMC answers to Questions for the Record for submission to Congress. Dave nodeed on the staff summary sheet that the AMC Vice Commander approved the responses. “Knowing that my classmate Chris Kelly approved made Dave’s job easier!”

A less than happy notice was the un-announced closing of the airlines that kept Hawaii tied to itself and CONUS. Aloha Airlines as we knew it is dead. One of the analysts for the local airlines commented that this bankruptcy is airtight A few of our classmates suffered the loss of work there.

Emails went around and contacts made, resumes read, recommendations given, and the coconut shells thrummed. Well, at least the classmates helped as classmates could.

Thankyou, Steve Lenzi for adding recommendations to your emails. Thankyou, Bill Casement from Dallas, Texas, for passing notes along. Bill is awaiting news of his flying company closing its doors. [No update to March news.] Bill is also dreaming up a 76-02 Moody reunion it's in the planning stages, polling for interest among class members. Interested in attending? At the moment, Bill Jones, Gary Christ, and I are gathering up contact info for class members Andy Galik is safe in his work for awhile, since we’re oil-dependent. Andy, a card-carrying professional engineer, is a drilling engineer, for Exxon Mobil.

His home is still in Houston. In fact, he plans to attend the USAFA vs Houston football game on Sept 13.1 wonder how many ofthe grads got together? Hopefully one of y’all will send me a line and a picture of a tailgate or two so we can spread the news around? Andy would have had to leave town soon after the game. He progressed from four years work in Nigeria to Perth, Australia. I rented ‘Quigley Down Under’ to get a feel of it. But, I don’t think Quigley provides a good picture of Australia. Maybe the outback?

The reason I mentioned the movie about Australia is that I rented Lawrence ofArabia’ as one of two movies to get a feel for Saudi Arabia. Yes, it does give a picture of the outback, and around. Joe Brezovic is in Riyadh for a bit. There are some peculiarities that I’d like to pass on. As you may know, there is prayer five times a day. We’re reminded by the speakers on the mosques that broadcast like the ‘attention in the area’ of yesteryear. The reminder sometimes turns into a 15-minute homily in the evenings. Every neighborhood has a speaker. The most noticeable time is the 4 a.m.! Shops, restaurants, libraries, all close up for the prayer time. The office job is helping to develop the Royal Saudi Air Force Center for Research and Development. That is the goal of broadening the systems analysis team the RSAF has now. Joe thinks there are so many possibilities of exchanging ideas with classmates!

Robert Lowrey from Colorado Springs sent in a note after the news ofRichard Alcorn’s passing. For the future, if anyone wishes to pass a note on to a classmate’s family, the quickest way would be to contact the AOG office. The scribe may have some information from the AOG ora classmate but the AOG is the best spot. Robert is a District Court Judge there in Colorado Springs! That city is getting attention. Craig Anderson wrote that he learned, at an Anderson Family reunion on his aunt’s 90th Birthday, that he has relatives in Telluride and Boulder. Craig is planning on a ski trip to Colorado in the spring of2009. He’s placing a call out to Dirty Dozen members to see if anyone set some time aside? Ifyou are in the Springs, or thinking about it, drop the scribe a note and he’ll pass it on just trying to keep the privacy act included ify’all would like it that way. This will be the 35th reunion year for your planning budgets. Craig sent on a note that he and Rite may be empty-nesters. Their oldest is a Lt JG in the Navy, working as a nuclear engineer in Naval Reactors in the Navy Yard, Washington, DC. Their middle son graduated from Virginia Tech this spring, with a degree in human health and nutrition. Their daughter just graduated from high school and will be headed to the University ofVirginia to be an engineer of some sort. Meanwhile, the small law firm he works in is about to become smaller as a few announced plans to leave this summer! He added I think the rest of us will continue on together, but really can’t be sure about anything anymore.”

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106

Hailes: Cortney, Mike, Susie, Ray. And so long to the last of known ’74 family establishments! Keith Quinn relates that although he’s had some great times, due to the economy, he decided to sell his burger restaurant. “Now I spend my days job-hunting on the net. I had no idea there were so manyjob help sites. I'm trying to stay in the Dayton area. Valerie (wife) has a good job with University of Dayton Research Institute so we can continue pushing our son through Wright State.” Last note: classmate Scott Huddleson was remembered in the Gone, but No Forgotten column last issue. I had not learned that Scott had passed on. But classmate Ralph Tate learned of it and wrote a very touching article. Thank you, Ralph for remembering Scott to us.

That’s all that fits for this round. Send in your notes! May you each live long and prosper.

Paul Kent

18166 S.E. 41st Place

Issaquah, WA 98027-9717 Mobile: (425) 785-3586 E-mail: zooscribe@mac.com

Our Class Heads to the Moon. When classmate/astronaut Brian Duffy heard

about this, he responded "cool... always wanted to go to the moon... we just got too old too soon." To which the organizer of our adventure, Webmaster Marty Stytz retorts "Who says we're too old? Someone still has to be the first man on Mars. Course, that will take a bit more effort by the class." Al Bready: "So... what do Martian women look like?" The LRO Class Project was a resounding success! Each of our squadrons submitted its name to accompany the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the first mission in NASA's plan to return to the Moon and then to travel to Mars and beyond. On Marty's own initiative, our GBNF classmates are also inscribed.

Classmate Updates. Charlie Buck's son Chad plays rhythm guitar in "The Dorian Green Blues Band." Charlie adds "It's some kind of play on Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', which I don't understand." He sent the scribe some of their music. Pretty good stuff. Even old folks can enjoy. Chuck Molzon was flying for American Trans Air when they filed bankruptcy. Paul Lotakis, NW Region POC: Got a short-notice call from Mike Buckley that Larry Richter was in town and they took the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Had a noonmeal formation and then trekked the Bloedel Reserve here on Bainbridge. Got very thirsty and went back to my deck for some barley pops.

Jeff Chappell: Just saw a well-done documentary called "Fighting for Life," about military medical operations in Iraq. Saw our very own Charlie Beadling.

It renewed my appreciation for our classmates and others (including my wife) in medical professions. Mickey Clemons: I am recovering from surgery for a detached retina. Mike Matte: My daughter graduated from law school. Brian Barnes: Teri and I have started a bed and breakfast here in Seattle. Hugo Gray: Was watching last part of the film "Top Gun” and up pop the credits for the pilots who supported the cast. Was stunned to see Capt. Mike "Boa” Straight as himself playing a MiG pilot! Mike responds: The Navy graciously let the token AF exchange guy fly a littie bit of the film. A good bunch of guys. But I tell Dottie I was actually Tom Cruise's stunt double for the bedroom scene.

Charles Schmitz: Hello from wild and wonderful Iraq, wish you were here.

Settled into my new job and well into my fourth week, not that 1' m counting.

It has been interesting working a joint billet with the Army, only confirms my reasons for going to USAFA and not West Point. Bill Davis: Had a wonderful two-week cruise of the Mediterranean with Annette and her folks. Raider Ramstad appears to be a San Francisco-based 747 copilot. Should I just tell him that Jim Carlson has the 75 Mafia searching for him, and that he can run, but not hide? Official announcement was published for Brig Gen Dave Ehrhart s retirement 15 Aug. Bill Dalson: A1 Peck will pin on his third star and assume command ofAir University. Max Della Pia: I retired from the military and from my civil service position. They gave me a brevet promotion to BG at my retire-

Beesley, Dale and Linda Meyerrose, Dan McCorry, Greg Schmitt, John and Kathy Sullivan, Duane and Jan Jones (the Hosts!), Ebola Bill Lyerly and Sylvia +2, Cowboy Awtrey and Jani, Joe May and Nancy, Jerry Manthei, Chappie Hargrove, Mike Anderson and Rene, Dick and Michele Webber, Bill and Annette Davis. On June 4, CS-33 sent out a "Happy 33rd from 33" message to the class.

We only have seven more graduation anniversaries before we won't be able to do that anymore.

ment. My son John has

accepted a slot at the Prep School to play soccer.

Stan Schoener to Jim Carlson: Seeing you, Mark Beesley and John Loucks certainly brought back great memories. It's amazing how the bad memories

don't seem so bad any more. For those of you out there who, like me, have not made it to any of the reunions, I hope you make it to the next one. Stan adds: My daughter, who is a senior at USC (AFROTC), has been accepted to UNR (Reno) med school. I went thru cancer surgery (bladder). Scott Smith: Imagine my delight when I got to the Delta crew wine bar in Rome to find fellow Delta pilot Mike Roznovsky waiting for me with a glass of wine ready to toast "75 Best Alive." I did not realize he was at Delta. William Rohde: Delta has a crew wine bar?

The DC Picnic Group

Chris Glaeser wrote to the scribe: I thinkwe should have a NW coast-to-coast picnic on June 7th also. The gracious Chris even offered to host at his house.

Unfortunately, the scribe and others in the Pacific NW could not make it work with their schedules.

Dan

Beatty 12196 Stanley Canyon Road Colorado Springs, CO 80921 H: (719) 488-1962 E-Mail: whrlybrd76@aol.com Dan.Beatty@usafa.af.mil http://www.AFAcademy.com/76

Delta Pilots Roznovsky and Smith at the Delta Air Wine Bar in Rome.

Scott Hente is recovering well from prostate cancer surgery. Sandy Terry wants to sincerely thank all of you who supported his recent Leukemia & Lym-

phoma Society bicycle ride. Dick Webber: Am alive and well at the Pentagon.

Mike Anderson: I was having breakfast, and I looked up and saw a FedEx pilot dude looking sharp and being in command and stuff. I thought" I know that guy! That's my roomo! (Jack Barton)" My Comm Director noted how we seemed to be friends who were just catching up and was surprised that the -

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last time we saw each other was three years ago at the reunion. "That's the way it is with our class," I told her. "It’s like a Band-of-Brothers thing. We went through a lot together, and we will go through anything together. It could be years since we saw each other.... but it will seem like just yesterday when we

spend anytime together."

Harry Mathis: Miracles still happen. Against many odds, the Air Force has decided to promote me to 0-6. With so many young thoroughbreds in the race I was pretty sure this old plow horse was headed for the barn (thought I could even smell the hay), but God and the AF had other plans. Mark Risi: I had my left knee replaced. John Scherer: I have a son who is at USNA and is a third classman. I am tired of hearing about Navy Football! Bill Murray: I got a layoff notice from Lockheed Martin, so I've been in the "job search" mode! Duane Jones sent the following photo of our classmates at the AF Blue Summit. Invited, but not able to attend: Dave Tillotson, Dick Webber, and Ric Rosburg.

Not pictured: Steve Rogers.

Ehrhart, Peck, Jones, McClendon, Commons, Fraser, Knauff, and Schuessler.

Class of75 33rd Anniversary Picnic. Saturday, 7 June at Bolling AFB. A picturesque covered pavilion on the Potomac. Attending: Phil and Arlene Saenger, Terry and PegYoung, Rick Benbow, Marv Cox Family, Rudy Roth, Don Byers, Duane Lodrige, Al and Billie Bready, Bill and Cleo Dalson, Jim Carlson, Mark

Fellow 76 ers, Classof2012 (yes, 12!) has taken up residence at the BlueZoo and are just finishing BCT as I write this.

Moving up/moving on. Howie Thompson from Commander’s Mobilization Assistant, 8th AF to CSAF MA. Brian Meenan from MA HQ AMC to CC MA, 18th AF. Willie Shelton confirmed to Lt Gen with move to

Chief, Warfighting Integration / Chief Information Officer, SAF. Tony Przybyslawski from AETC Director, Intelligence and Air, Space and Information to AETC/ CV Doug Loverro is now the SMC SES Executive Director. Congrats to you all!

Larry New retired. Good luck in the next life Larry.

General Class Stuff: I am still expanding/updating my Scribe database and appreciate any contact info you have for any ’76ers including email/snail mail addresses and phone numbers. I will not share info without your permission to protect your privacy. Please send any and all contact data you have. I will sort out any duplicates. If you are on some sort of“linked-in” site, send me an invite to join and I can get contact info you have for other ’76ers.

HUGE responses this go! I appreciate the plethora of’76ers who responded to my note about 76 entering Beast 36 years ago, and I have now been convinced we entered on 03 Jul, not 05 Jul as shown in the Register. Apologies to Lee Cuevas for not adding his input from last session about racing his 944.

Barry Muhlenberg’s son Kai got his Navy wings and is off to fly F /A-1 8s, and son Eric recently graduated from West Chester U. Barry is still a UPS A-300 captain.

Eric, Terry, Kai and Barry Muhlenberg at son Kai’s Naval winging.

Bill Rogge sees Jack Catton and Larry New frequently. Doug Fry and Cendy will be grandparents x 4 in Sept. Doug and Ben Thomson were the only ’76ers at the Tri-Service

Academy golf tourney but Ben said to not ask how they did.

Randy Schaverien seems to have the perfect job... ”1 am four miles away from my boss, I don't supervise anyone, and am the flight safety guy for a wing that 107

doesn't own airplanes.” Mike Walsh is still hanging out in Hawaii and has a new grandson. MikeFricanoisnowacivDepDiratHQPACAF. Says the Aloha

McFarlane, Bob Swanson, Ray Wild, and Duke Evans all wrote to say hi or

AOG Chapter hosted three groups ofcadets this summer. Dave Berg had noth-

On a personal note, I became a 1st time Grandpa in June, and in July started

ing to report from Langley. Ed Gallagher finished his Baghdad Embassy tour and heads to the Paris embassy Jun 09 to work in the Consular section. He figures he will get more 76 visitors than in Baghdad. Ed saw Dave Clary at Baghdad airport ceremony recently.

Terry Williams says he, Stef Eisen, and Denny Rea are still keeping the invading hordes from attacking Montgomery, AL. Denny Shupe still doing great things with USO. He is co-chair of PA and south NJ USO event in Oct and

my dream job flying ‘Life-Flight’ helos just north of Denver. Never thought I’d get a lot of helo time again, but after 12 years out of the cockpit I’m flying helos and saving folks... damn the luck!

Well classmates, again time to stick a fork in it. Send me your notes, inputs, address updates, suggestion, junk mail, etc and I will do my best to keep all of you in the loop. As always, if you are headed to the Springs, let me and the other locals know. Keep flying your flags and let our deployed troops know you have

welcomes any and all support from Zooms in the area. Son Nathan has wed-

them in your thoughts and prayers.

ding planned for Jul 09 and daughter Ellen just finished 1 st year at Gettysburg college. Kim and Laurie Weber report no big news from Gilroy. Doug Stewart still doing a little part time helo work but says he may hang that up by years’ end and just continue to work for Scitor.

Greg Lewis talks with Tony P and Rico Racosky a good bit and just ran into Mike Ely during a plane swap. Tom Bowie is directing honors program at Regis and enjoying his four grandkids. Joe Wysocki saw Kevin Chilton (Chili’s daughter Madison is nowin BCT) and Willie Shelton recently. Joe tore a hamstring while water skiing but hopes to be fully recovered to walk his daughter down the aisle in Sept. Says Win Macklin and Lee Leber are doing great.

Enrique Saa forwarded a note and photo from Rick Caballero. The ‘3 Amigos’, Rick, Enrique and Bill Franklin went flying in Rick’s Navion. Rick says he may get his medical cert back and return to American later this year.

comment on our BCT entry date. Thanks guys!

-

The Spirit of 76 is STILL alive and well! Until next time. Beatty John J “Lou” Michels, Jr.

4107

Harvey Western Springs, IL 60558 Voice: (312) 849-8150 Fax: (312) 849-8151 E-Mail:

jmichels@mcguirewoods.com I hope this finds everyone tanned, not burned (that’s like, “shaken, not stirred”),

and ready to charge into autumn and Falcon football after a relaxing summer. As I look out my window in Chicago, there is a thunderstorm with lightning hitting

Lake Michigan. The flashes illuminate the bottom of the lake quite well. lean just make out the rows of cement overshoes off the breakwater by Benton Harbor. (Just kidding-all those guys got dumped in the Chicago River.)

Reunion Leftovers: I finally located a long-delayed picture of my cohorts from 16th Squadron at the reunion.

3 Amigos Bill Franklin, Rick Caballero, and Enrique Saa beforeflight.

Jay Kleven is doing computer contracting for Google for the foreseeable future. Ben Dilla and Sharon were in UK last month for an exec coaching program in Oxford. Says the family recently vacationed in IA. MikePonzani works for FSI in Columbus, OH and sees Dave Pyshora occasionally. Says he plans to hire new FSI sim instructors in the next several months. If you’re interested, let him know. Chris Reamy working for Airbus. He and Gretchen are enjoying the DC area. Kevin Martin in St Louis as a consultant. Plans to go national with his business later this year. Still has two kids in college. Sees Bob Norman and Tim Cantwell on occasion. Wade McRoberts sent pic of himself, son-in-law Joe Stallings (03), and grandson Luke.

From left are Russ Finney (Kathie), Pat Burke (Denise), Pat McVay (Cyndee)

and Don Magee (Valerie).

Russ is working as an investment advisor in Ohio (at last check, anyway),

while Pat B. is with Raytheon in Dallas. Pat M. is working at Offutt as a GS (it should be SES by now), and Mags flies for United. It’s hard to believe that this distinguished group actually associated with me back in the day, but no one had good judgment then. Thanks for the shot, guys, and I promise I won’t miss the next reunion.

Masko Maskowitz (Rita) dropped me a note to update me on his status. Masko retired as an 0-6 in the Reserves at Fort Monmouth in Jersey, where he was the Emergency Preparedness guy for the State of Florida. What that means is that he was coordinating military air and support to the civilians during major disasters, including 9-11 and a variety ofhurricanes. Masko is in the process of jumping from the 737 to the 767 for American at his real job, and he recently popped down to Caracas with Rita to visit Lee Bauer, who has just retired as the military attache at the embassy there.

Joe Stallings (03), Luke Stallings (29), and Wade McRoberts (76) Bob Rykazewski works for General Dynamics at Cape Canaveral; says he and Lisa are enjoying empty nest. Son Ryan is U of Miami grad working on PhD, son Kyle (06) headed to DM in A- 10s, son Sam (USNA08) headed to naval flight training. Tom Appoloni is a software engineer doing 3D visualization in Florida, enjoying grandson Logan. Pat Petersen lives in Anchorage and flies a747 cargo bird forAtlas Airlines and adores his two granddaughters. JoeMets currently living in Texas hill country between San Antonio and Austin investing in real estate. Dave Clary still in Iraq, but flew in a helo recently during 115 degree heat. Says he now “hilly comprehends how a convection oven works!”

Hope you enjoyed the helo Dave... it’s the ONLY was to fly! Rich McNally works modeling and sim tools for SAIC in Maryland. He too enjoys his grandkid.

Pat Flanagan lives in Austin, only because he can’t convince his bride to live somewhere cool and dry.

Not enough space to put the comments, but Ernie Wollard, Mike Reames, -

Terry Petrie, Jim Crowe, Dusty Rhoades, Chris Inglis, Scott Lounsberry, Bob Bivins, Chris Curry, Brad Forrest, Ralph Gibson, Marc Felman, Tim Lewis, Mike Cunningham, John Hope, Greg Schneider, Dave Jareo, Dave Robinson, Pete Mapes, Mark Shanks, Mike Hoyes, Tom Greene, Paul Auclair, Jerry 108

Jim Maskowitz and Friends at the end.

Jim sent me this great picture of his retirement gathering. From left are Norm

Thompson (Mary), who is currently flying 767s for American on international routes out of New York; Lee Bauer (now retired as the attache in Caracas and

currently vacationing in Des Moines); Bill Rhoden (Laura), who is aTechnol-

ogy Manager at Hamilton Sunstrand and living in Connecticut; and Monty Montgomery (Neana), flying the 757 for Northwest out of Detroit and on the Master Executive Council for the Airline Pilots’ Association for Northwest. I should note that Monty fired me off an email at the end of Jim’s queue, noting that his Vice-Chairman job at ALPAonly requires 30 hours a day, and that Jim was correct in all other details. Monty closes by saying, “I hope that all is well and that I never have to say Jim was right again.” That’s a great group, Jim, notwithstanding your close geographic proximity to a union member. Congratulations again, and fly safe.

BookReport: Tom Jones (Liz), having finished one book about P-47s is now working on a new one, “Planetology”, from National Geographic, that is due out around the time this column is published. Look for it in the science section at your nearest mega-mall bookstore. Tom and Liz headed down to Costa Rica for a little R&R walking through an active volcanic area before heading back to their home in Reston, VA, and then j etted off to Italy for a few days. B eing an author sounds tough. They’ve got one kid in graduate school and one who’s well into undergrad study at Davidson. Thanks for the update, Tom.

Infrequent Updates: Bob McGrath (Stephanie) sent me his “once in a blue moon” check in to let me loiow that he is running his own business consulting operation out of Baton Rouge where they now reside. BobisaPh.D. outofLSU (GeauxTigers!) and left his professorship at the school to set up his own business. Now, I know what some of you are saying “I didn’t know they awarded any degrees at LSU, much less a Ph.D.,” but Bob assures me this is completely legitimate. On a more somber note, part of Bob’s new role is to look after Stephanie, who has been ailing as oflate. Thanksforthe update and ourvery best to you both, guys.

Rick Newton (Kathy) sent me a quick update from Eglin where he is teaching special operations courses to all service classes at the JSOC at Hurlburt. Newt’s son is an ’06 grad and is now headed to EWO school and ultimately placement on the AC-130 at, you guessed it, Hurlburt. like Nothing having your parents just down the street to keep an eye on you while you chase members of the opposite sex up and down the strip there in Port Walton Beach. Newt noted that the kid is nothing like his father, mainly on the basis of his winning the Academic Performer Award for his nav class. I will agree that no one has ever used “Newt” and “academic proficiency” in the same sentence, at least in my experience. Notwithstanding that, congrats all around.

French Connection: Greg Smith (Angelika) sent his first communication to the old scribe, and it’s a good one. Greg is posting away from his position at USPS and retiring. But the real interesting news follows. Greg hosted one of the French Exchange Cadets as his roommate for the fall semester our first class year. His roomie, Jean-Luc Delon, went on to bigger and better things and this year finished up a two-year stint as the French Defense Attache, and retired as a Major General. General Delon’s wife got a hold of Greg and Angelika and brought them back for the General’s retirement at the French Embassy in Washington. There, Greg made a presentation effectively “closing the circle” on the General’s military career with its early links to USAFA. -

Greg Smith and his roomie reliving old times.

I can only hope that the food for the ceremony was prepared by the embassy, and not by Mitchell Hall. There are some memories that simply shouldn’t be brought back. Congrats, Greg, and don’t make it 31 years before you write again.

Jim Moschgat (Becky) lives in Monument and works as the Deputy Comm at the National Security Space Institute at Peterson. It sounds like he’s living the good life with a minimal commute and trying to catch glider rides at the Black Forest Glider Port. One ofhis flights was with Quay Snyder (Elezabeth), who is a member of the club and gives rides to demented old graduates. Horst Roehler (Mary) is also a member ofthe club and owns his own aircraft. Ironically, Jim and Horst flewF- 16s at Torrejon back in the early '80s. Jim is working on a project to place a marker on the crash site where Michael Gerardi died during a Stardust flight on September 11,1974. Mike was in CS-10 at the time of crash, which also killed his pilot. Jim is looking for anyone who has any information about the crash site or Mike’s family or would be willing to help him with his efforts to locate the exact location of the crash. Jim’s been hiking through the area and has a lot of information but could always use some assistance. Anyone who needs help contacting him, please let me know.

Closeout: That's it from the Northern tier. Hope everyone is doing well. Be

seeing you.

Bob

Kay

47%

40411 Tesoro Lane

Members

Palmdale, CA 93551

Home:(661) 274-2201 Work: (661) 824-6426 Email:

Robert.kay@baesystems.com

Greetings ’78ers...

As many ofyou might have seen on the AOG web site “Gone but Not Forgotten”, Herb Crissman passed back in March. I'm not sure what the circumstances were but our prayers go out to Victoria during this difficult time. Herb served his country and family with distinction for many years and will be greatly missed by all of us who knew him.

I’ve shared a couple of times before the various endeavors that Greg “Holly” Hollister has been doing but this one is truly exciting. His company is leading a technical coalition and working diligently on several energy initiatives. His group met recently with the Kentucky Secretaries of Energy and Labor as well as the Economic Development office ofWestVirginia and the National Energy Technology lab. The near-term focus is on “employing algae as a method to sequester carbon by using it as a feedstock to grow algae and, in turn, create bio-crude. This will allow coal burning power plants to continue operation without having to lose up to 33 percent of their power generation capability by pumping C02 into the ground. This process, in turn, can be used to ‘sequester’ C02 from plants that convert coal to oil something that has been done since the late 1880's.” Talk about making a difference on a major scale.

They are working on other very exciting areas with more details at www.MoveOnNow.info it makes for some very interesting reading!

Here’s something that is pretty cool. Chuck Stiles sent two great pix of him and Kip Self. Until 22 May when he retired after 30 years, Chuck was the vice —

commander of the USAF Expeditionary Center at Fort Dix, NJ. The commander, and Chuck’s boss was none other than Kip who officiated at the retirement. The first shot is of Kip and Chuck by the entrance to the center and the second one is after the retirement with the appropriate ’78 accoutrements of red suspenders. Well done gents and thanks for sending these Chuck.

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting at my desk at Mojave Airport and saw a

small rocket plane flying around in the pattern (called the Rocket Racer appro-

priately enough). Found out that it was being flown by none other than our own Rick Searfoss and it looked like he was having serious fun. I left a message on his cell and he called back a little while later explaining what he’s been up to. Some forward thinking entrepreneurs are creating a concept where these 109

types of airplanes will race on a closed circuit course much like traditional air

racing (check outwww.rocketracingleague.com). The company that Rick works for is leading the development of the initial prototype. He keeps busy with that and still travels the country speaking on leadership. Who says retirement has to be boring?

Bill Hadaway has also been keeping fairly busy. He was promoted to Brig Gen in the Oklahoma ANG last month after serving as the 138th FighterWing commander in Tulsa for the past four years. He is now the Chief of Staff for the state having been in the Guard since 1987. Hewas also the 125FS/DO, 125FS/CC, 1380G/CC and wing commander flying the F- 16C Block 42 since 1993. In his dayjob, he’s a 777 Captain for Delta flying long-range flights to Mumbai, Seoul,

Dubai, Tokyo, Tel Aviv and others. He considers himself most “fortunate to fly four different fighters uninterrupted for 30 years and be very senior at the airline at the same time. “I was able to participate in six combat deployments since 1996. Ann and I had our 30th Cadet Chapel wedding anniversary last month and have three children, Laura 17, Evan 21 and Robert 24. Thanks for the info Hads.. .lookingforward to seeingyou at the reunion.

Vic Summers sent this adorable picture ofhis eldest granddaughter Summer in highly appropriate attire. He said that since he couldn’t get any of his three daughters interested in USAFA, he thought he’d start early with his second round of girls (two granddaughters Summer and Kimberly). He bought the flight suit on his last visit to the Zoo. Vic is still VP of U.S. Furniture Operations the U.S. for Corporate Express (recently purchased by Staples). He and Cheri still live the good life in northwest Denver (Broomfield), just south of Boulder. Vic also mentioned that John Murtari was in the Denver area in June visiting his ”

Schmidt. Burt (Lisa) is on his way to take over as the Vice Director Strategic Plans & Policy at the Joint Staff while Randy (Kathleen) sent me the following update, “.. .By the first week in August I'll be in my next job as Vice Commander, AF Cyber (Provisional). If all goes as planned, and that remains to be seen, that position will become the Vice for the full up command and dual-hatted as the 24th NAF/CC, and AFNETOPS/ CC. Kathy and I are looking forward to the move to Barksdale as it will put us a little closer to our son Stephen who is a television news reporter, anchor, and assistant news director at KBTX, Channel 3, in Bryan-College Station, Texas. Not sure what plans the Air Force has for Steve (Debbie) and Steve (Sarah) but I do not think there are any bad 2-star jobs out there.

Speaking of general officers, Jan-Marc Jouas (Marion) is on his way to Hawaii to become Special Assistant to Comm ander PACAF. Also received word from Keith Kries (Micki) that he just pinned on brigadier general—the first ’79er in the Air Force Reserve to make general officer. He has been serving as the Vice Commander, 4th AF at March Air Reserve Base since 2006. He spent 20 years flying for US Airways and then switched to FedEx. Spencer (8) and Brooke (4) round out the family.

-

son in Boulder and

they were able to catch up.

Mike “Smacko” McMillie sends regular notes on senior officer goings-on and mentioned back in June that Dave Lengyel had his retirement in the early part ofthe month. Lots offamiliar faces attended including Don Alston, Garry Dean, John Puffenbarger, Wayne Hermendorfer, and Russ Fraz among others.

Everyone had a nice lunch after the ceremony.

I was sitting in the lobby of the Holiday Inn in Panama City last week doing e-mail on Mr. CrackBerry when up walks non other than Greg “Kais” Kaiser!

He was in town with his fiancee who was doing some work at Tyndall. Kais tragically had a heart attack (mild to moderate in his words) back in January and just received word that the flight doc approved his Class 1FAA medical certificate. No word yet whether FedEx will let him come back on the line but he thinks he has a good shot. He was still flying in the right seat of the MD-11 when he had the attack. Was great to meet his future bride and catch up a bit...

Brig. Gen. Keith Kries and Micki at pin-on.

Also on the general officer front, Steve Lepper (Kathryn), AMC’s Staff Judge Advocate sent word that he just pinned captain on #1 daughter Jennifer (USAFA ’04), a Bioenvironmental Engineer at Keesler, while #2 daughter, Helen, graduated from CSU in December with a degree in Biology and was hired within a month as a research assistant a Colorado U niversity Medical Center in Denver doing research on organ transplant rejection. He also men tioned that he mns into Don Lustig (Rhonda), AMC’s IG, and Dr. Doug Robb (Gloria), AMC’s Command Surgeon, once in a while.

Speaking of doctors and organ transplants, Dr. Butch Rayfield (Karen) “celebrated” his one-year kidney transplant anniversary in March. He had several stays in Johns Hopkins during the past year but overall he is doing well and the kidney is functioning properly. Steve Graf visited Butch in the hospital during one of his layovers in the Baltimore area and said Butch “looks great and not much different than he did at the Zoo. Steve also caught up with Bob Siegrist (Carol) who is working the Joint Strike Fighter program at AFOTEC and living in Albuquerque. ”

talk about coincidences.

Speaking ofsenior officer goings-on, Larry James is now the 14th AF commander atVandenberg, Punch Moulton is the J -3 at EUCOM in Germany, Kevin Kennedy came home from Afghanistan and is now the J-8 (Requirements and Integration) at Joint Forces Command in Norfolk. Three guys put on their second star in June: Dave “Limo” Scott who is still the deputy commander of the 7th CAOC in Larissa, Greece (sounds like a rough tour) .Jay Lindell will be leavingAfghanistan soon and going to DC as the Director of the Global Power Programs at SAF/AQ. Finally, Mike “Snod” Snodgrass is the Chief of Staff for Africa Command in Stuttgart. Congrats to all ofyou.

Have run out of room on this round so thanks, as always, to everyone who took the time to write. Will have a nice reunion recap next time. Looking forward to seeing everyone back “on campus” next month. ’78 is Great!

John Pardo

1843 Miller Drive

DuPont, WA 98327 H: (253) 507-4889 W: (253) 298-4813

In the “it’s a small world” category, I was walking out of the McChord BXlast

C: (781) 439-2036

month when I spotted a familiar face heading the other way. I stopped the

pardoJohn@hotmail.com

unsuspecting shopper and started to introduce myself but Jim Miyamoto (Christine) instantly recognized me even though we hadn’t seen each other in over 27 years. Jim is working for Raytheon out of California but was in Washington for business and to visit family. About the same time, I received an email

Greetings from the great Northwest and congratulations to the Air Force’s newest major generals: Burt Field, Randy Fullhart, Steve Mueller and Steve 110

Bob Siegrist and Steve Graf

from Joe Marquardt (Jeanne) who is living and flying out of Dubai as a 111 Captain for Emirates Airlines. He asked me to send out an open invitation for a cold one to anyone who happens to be in the area.

Wes Miller (Kathy) is still flying for Brown and living in Louisville. Their daughter is married and living in Denver while their son is trying to make it as a musician in Nashville. Ted DuBose (Stephanie) is living in and working for the city of Charlotte, NC. Steve Sosa (Sunisa) is doing logistics modeling for ConocoPhillips and living in the Houston area. He’s been in the Guard for over 20 years and is getting ready to deploy to Turkey in support ofPredator operations.

Dave “DJ” Jowers (Mary) just retired citing the 2.5 hour (on good days) commute as Deputy Director, Regional Affairs for the Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs as the cause. He and the family have relocated to Littleton, MA about 15 miles west of Hanscom. Sons John and Matthew will start 7th grade there.

Mark Reid (Cynthia) is working for MITRE Corporation supporting the Missile Defense Agency at Schriever Air Force Base as is Eldon “Kojak” Koucerek (Candace). Mark forwarded an email from Thom “TMac” McCarthy with a picture of him, Burt Field and Mike “Brillo” Brill after Brillo became the first guy in the world—that’s right, ’79 does it again—to fly 6000 hours in the F-16.

It was a combat mission out of Balad with Burt on Brillo’s wing. All three were stationed at Balad; Burt as commander, TMac as Director of Staff and Brillo with his unit from Hill.

when he wasn’t plying his instructor-doctor trade, volunteered as a docent (an

in-the-knowtour guide) at the local air museum, Frontiers of Flight. I gave him a call. He had a rare weekday off and offered to give me a private tour. I also remembered Jim (Shelley+5) Easier was in the area, tracked him down in Plano

(with Raytheon as Ops Mgr with the Army’s Future Combat Systems), and invited him along. Jim declined—something about having to work for living.

Before the tour, Mike and I grabbed a seat and chatted. Here’s what I gleaned: Mike, an avid bicyclist, left the Zoo to the Missile field (Whiteman), got accepted to med school, finished his four years in the hole, graduated from Wake Forest, then Keesler for surgery experience (one year), back to the Zoo as a Flight Doc (’90-’94), Travis for radiology, remote to Osan as Head of Radiology (“Down the

plane stairs as the guy I was replacing was walking up, handing me his pager.”), again to the Zoo (’95-’97), into the AF Reserves and a Neuroradiology fellowship (two years) at Wake Forest, followed by three years on faculty, now at Baylor University Med Ctr (five years) teaching and part-time on-call.

We started walking around the museum, talking about the artifacts, aviation history, etc., when Mike said he saw someone he wanted me to meet. For the next hour, I got to listen to the living history of a P-47 pilot, Charlie Mohrle, who flew one of the greatest fighters for a period before, during, and after DDay. He was inspirational, entertaining, proud, educational, patriotic, and humble. Yep, a great day. (Thanks, Mike.)

Brillo, TMac and Burt Also in the news, Pete Bunce (Jane) received a no-kidding Kudos from the Military Officers Association of America for being named Airport Journal’s “Aviation Industry Leader of the Year” for the work he has done as CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association for the past three years.

That’s it for this edition. Next up is Bud Vasquez at bud.vasquez@us.ibm.com so send your updates and pictures to him.

Don

Myers 401 Chambray Hill Peachtree City, GA 30269-4247 (770) 631-1429 E-mail: DMyers80@hotmail.com

Members

ZN=ZoomieNation.usafa.org

Refreshing? I’m sure you’ll agree it was nice to hear from A1 Wallace, our Guest Scribe last quarter. Not long after he finished the article, Al headed south, way south: “I was slaying dragons in Peru—actually, building a patient wing to a hospital with USAFA cadets, college and high school students, and some timber framers from Canada and Colorado.” My/our sincere thanks to Al for taking the time for us—who’s up next at bat for Guest Scribe?

Comms. To better communicate and stay in touch, we put some heads together and came-up with the following, twopronged, game plan: The class home page will be disbanded.

Thanks, again to Steve Dawidowicz for the initial 1980 Home Page, and to Bud Uyeda in recent years for maintaining the last iteration. ZoomieNation.org (ZN) will take its place. It’s very easy to use the ZN networking site. As such, this will be the next step in the evolutionary comms chain. There’s no need to be an AOG member to access this powerful, flexible, informative tool (of which our protected class section is just a small part)—so pass the word along.

Prong Two: Debbie (Dubbe) (David) Gray, our AOG Class Senator, volunteered to maintain a class email list. For this part of the comms picture to succeed, y'u have to send her (ddgray@embarqmail.com) your preferred email address and keep it up to date. Finally, the best way to extend our reach one more level is to provide Deb with email addresses that you have of our fellow classmates. With this last step, Debbie can capture a significant number of out there somewhere classmates. In advance, thank you.

A Great Day. I flew from Kona, HI, to Dallas-Love and put the plane into maintenance at Gulfstream. Since it looked like I’d have the next day free in the 100-degree heat, I plucked from my memory that Mike (Jane+2) Opatowsky,

Charlie, Don, and Mike Reconnect. Mike put me in touch with Emi(Takashima) and Ed Vishoot. Emi wrote how she took the early retirement at Wright-Pat and they’ve been in Dayton ever since. She’s self-employed as a pro volleyball official, including lead-

ership positions. “Yeah, not your typical post-AF career and an ironic choice, since I swore my next job would not involve wearing a uniform!” Lately, Emi has concentrated on men’s and women’s Div I and travels all over the country. She also worked the inaugural beach volleyball event at the 1996Atlanta Olympics and Paralympics. Ed took the VSI option and left the AF in ’92, started his own computer support/video business, then had to shelve it when both of his parents became seriously ill in Colorado. He’s just had total hip replacement surgery, but he’s been upbeat through the arduous recovery and rehab phase.

Moore Dayton? CD writes, “There are a handful of ’80 grads still kicking around the AF—four of us, in fact, living the dream and loving life here at Wright-Pat. Thought you’d like the picture of our last mini-reunion at a local pizza joint, where we debated the finer points of AF doctrine, recapitalization... and the long-term health benefits of eating Italian food! In the picture from left are four “seasoned” BGs from the class of’80: Joe Lanni, Director of Air, Space and Information Operations, HQ AFMC; Paula Thornhill, Commandant, Air Force Institute of Technology; Janet (Libby) Wolfenbarger, Director, Intelligence and Requirements, HQ AFMC; and me (CD Moore) Commander, 478th Aeronautical System Wing (F-22 program). I’m also happy to report that my son will be joining the Long Blue Line this summer as another Legacy in the Class of 2012. Hard to believe we were doing the same thing

nearly 32 years ago.

”

Some ’80 Seasoning.

Ill

Who’s Where/What. My ear-to-the-ground sez: Jeff Mielke is the Director, Development / Director, Planned and Class Giving, USAFA AOG; LG (select) Paul (Ricki Smith) Selva, from Director, Air Force Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Programs, Fleadquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, to Assistant to the Chairman ofthe Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon; BG Sue Helms from Commander, 45th Space Wing and Director, Eastern Range, Air Force Space Command, Patrick AFB, FL, to Director, Plans and Policy, J-5,

Headquarters United States Strategic Command, Oflutt AFB, NE; BG C.D. Moore, from Wright-Pat to Director, Special Programs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Pentagon; BG Mike Moeller from Director, Strategy, Policy, and Plans, US Southern Command, to Commander 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, A1 Udeid AB, Qutar; BG Janet Therianos from Special Assistant to the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, to Director, Intelligence, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB. BG Doug Owens is Commander, 36th Wing, Andersen AFB, Guam, as it is being transformed into a super-base—they’re even going so far as to uncover (and use) old B-29 runways/taxiways from WWII. Among other growth, it’s becoming a major B-2 deployment base and home for Global Hawk UAVs. Col Bruce Townsend, Vice Commander, Global Cyberspace Integration Center, Langley AFB, was recently elected as Flight Captain of the local Daedalian flight. Both BG Frank Kisner, Director, Center for Force Structure, Requirements, Resources, and Strategic Assessments, US Special Ops Command, MacDill AFB, and Chris Miller, Director of Plans, Policy, and Strategy, NORAD, Peterson AFB, have been nominated for another star. And Tom (Ann) Williams

Rich at old Ft Leavenworth prison gate.

called me the other day to let me know he is retiring from the Air Force and moving to Charleston, SC to teach English at the Citadel. I wished him the best of luck. Chris is the keeper of our class flag.

[Picture #2 Rich at old Ft Leavenworth prison gate.

Senate Update: I dialed into the July Class Senate meeting. The main discussion was on AOG support to Chapters and how to grow Alumni Chapters.

Bottom line: the AOG does provide support, but gets little data back from the Chapters. I have the presentation given to the board and would be happy to send it to anyone interested. There was also a discussion reinforcing the AOG’s role in fundraising and howto best work with the other major fundraising groups supporting our Academy. I’m always open for ideas and feedback to pass on to the Senate.

Send me your summer and fall pictures. Falcon football is upon us and snow (for some of us) is just around the corner. Our Class of '81 group is slowly growing on the Zoomienation website (zoomienation.usafa.org). Consider signing up, so you can keep in touch and look at photos from old Checkpoints articles and Reunions.

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from Mere Mortal to... Reverend, Auburn, AL. I ran out of room here; a good thing. Go to ZN for several more tidbits,

including our (good news) Gift Fund update. BEAT’EM! Don Rich Trentman

11102 Asbee St.

Falcon, CO 80831-8170 Home: (719) 494-8438

Work: (719) 234-0754 E-mail: trentman@usafa81.com

Class Website: www.usafa81.com Summer is over! This will be the extremely “lean” edition of our class news.

Incoming info and photos were slim this quarter and I was a bit busy as we all get at times. I’ll reach out and try to bring in much more info for the fall edition.

I had grown overly comfortable (lazy) with a fairly steady flow of emails. My apologies.

Class News: John Marlin was kind enough to give me a “heads-up” he was coming through Colorado Springs this summer, so we got the families together at Fargo’s Pizza. The Marlins had been on a family trip through the West to see the Grand Canyon, Utah, and Colorado. Their son, Joseph, attended Summer Research at West Point shortly after their vacation. Jim Kilty sent me a short email that he and his three sons are doing well just outside of Chicago. Jake Jakobi is still playing lacrosse and said he was heading to Vail for his 11th year in a row to play for the Graybirds. He planned to visit with Kelly Oberbillig in Denver enroute to the tournament.

Amy Markert visited Rich and Heather Brook, but again, not much info.

I took my gang to Denver this summer for a mini-vacation

that included the famous Casa Bonita. My sons enjoyed it! I hadn’t been there since we were cadets. I have been on the road a lot with my current project. Recently, I spent a week at Ft Leavenworth demonstrating our software at the Battle Lab. My wife and I did enjoy a relaxing dinner with Marty and Becky France at Scott Trimboli and Lauri Cross beautiful Black Forest ranch early this summer. Marty is off to the Pentagon for a year. It is a well deserved break ffomhisstressfuljob overseeing the Astro Department atUSAFA. I’ll miss seeing him at football and basketball this season. Chris Campbell ’

Marlins and Trentmans at Fargos.

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Jim Ratti

2860 Arbor Pointe Drive

Middletown, OH 45042

(937) 760-2333 rattijm@mindspring.com http://usafa82.org

Greetings Redtags!

Summertime, summertime... hot and muggy (finally) here in Ohio, but that’s following a cooler and wetter spring than usual here, so no complaints. I’ve

completed my first full year since retirement from active duty and although I’m still working (I didn’t retire as much as I changed jobs), I’ve got to say I’m really enjoying it. My stress level is a LOT lower, and I enjoy schedule flexibility as never before. As many ofyou have already learned (or are about to learn), there is indeed life after the Air Force! I’m very thankful and grateful for the career I had, and I’m also grateful to all of you and to the Academy for the experience I had there which prepared me so well. Speaking of which, we passed 30 years since enteringtheAcademy, and 26 years since graduation this

past June. Hard to believe it’s been that long, but ”it is what it is” I guess!

2nd Lt David Mauer and his proud Dad Tony (Col, USAF, Retired)!

We’re clearly to the point of “baton passing” as evidenced by this picture of Tony Mauer and his son 2nd Lt David Mauer. Tony made the trek to USAFA to commission Dave in June, and then retired from active duty at Scott AFB on 7 July. David headed out immediately to begin pilot training at Vance.

Not to be outdone, Tom Sylvester sent a note entitled ’’Let the bragging be-

info. By the way, Dan retired in 2003 and is working for Jacobs Engineering in the 605th Test & Evaluation Squadron at Eglin.

So I guess that’s about all the news for this time around. Remember to keep your faithful scribe on your Christmas card list and let me know all that’s hap-

pening in your world. Until next time, be safe! Ratman

gin” to Mike Sinisi’s mailing list to let us know that his daughter Jill graduated from Harvard with honors in microbiology. She was on the varsity track & field team and was also a member ofthe Harvard University Band, and will be headed

Stu Pope

to med school in the fall.

520 Ramona Ave.

I heard about a couple other folks who marked transitions this past quarter.

Rocky Reiners retired from his job in SAF/AQ on 26 Jun, 30 years to the day from when we headed up the ’’Bring Me Men” ramp. (Yes, that’s the name I’ll always associate with it!) I don’t have any info on what Rocky’s going to be up to next. I also learned that David ”H+ 11” Hagginbothom retired for the second time. He had been working as a test & evaluation engineer for Wyle Aero in the F-35 program office in D.C., and will be retiring to Williamsburg, VA. Not everyone’s retiring however! A few of us have managed to hang in there and continue getting promoted. Our latest BG is none other than Sharon Dunbar.

Sierra Madre, CA 91024

stu_pope@yahoo.com

Did everyone read the article in a recent Checkpoints about common recur-

ring USAFA dreams? Man, I could relate. In half the dreams I remember, I’m inexplicably wearing a uniform or a flight suit. What would our former psych instructors have to say about that?

Sadly, one of the great Behavioral Science professors from our years at the Zoo, Lt Col Bob Gregory, is no longer around to give us an answer. Bob passed away suddenly just a couple of months ago. Those of us who knewhim will remember him for his humor, his generosity, and his mean pitchers of martinis.

Sue Ross wrote in to relate the details of husband Dave’s 50th birthday party in March. She speculates that Dave maybe the first person in our class to hit the half century mark, but I think a couple of other Bohicans may have beat him to that dubious milestone. Joining Dave at the celebration were former roommates Rick Carrier and Tony Smith.

BGen Sharon Dunbar with proud husband Doug, at left, and proud classmate Mike Sinisi.

Our Washington, DC-area newshound and rumor control expert Mike Sinisi sent this picture from Sharon’s promotion ceremony in July. Mike said the

ceremony was a “fun and grand time” and that he was proud to have been there. Sharon is now serving as the Director of Manpower, Organization and Resources, Deputy Chief of Stafffor Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

And although we’re getting older, we still haven’t given up on athletic pursuits.

Courtesy of an e-mail from Bill Erikson (his first Checkpoints submission!), I know of at least three classmates who ran this year’s Boston Marathon in April.

Tom LaValley, TL Johnson, and Ray Phillips (center three), cheered by squadron-mates PowellWilson (left) and Bill Erikson (right).

Powell and Bill were all in the same squadron at USAFA, so they decided to make the trek to Beantown to cheer on Tom, TL and Ray. Tom andTL are 747 First Officers with United, based out of San Francisco (Tom lives in Colorado Springs and TL lives in Las Vegas). Ray is Vice President and COO of INTECON in Colorado Springs. Powell is a Vice President with Karta and Bill is a Research Staff Member at the Institute for Defense Analyses. Powell and Bill live and work in Northern Virginia. And since everyone wants to know times, here they

TL-3:10:17, Ray-3:19:10;Tom-3:19:54.

And finally, I got a note from Dan Pike asking for some help publicizing a

are:

Stalag 17 Squadron Reunion he and a couple other “Stalagtites” are planning to hold in Florida over Veteran’s Day weekend this year. Dan, Dennis Delaney, and Brendan Clare all live in the panhandle area and would like to get the word out to all squadron mates about the upcoming gathering. Dan didn’t tell me exactly where they’re planning on holding it, but my guess would be the Eglin/ Niceville area. Contact Dan directly (Daniel.pike.ctr@eglin.af.mil) for more

50th Birthday Partyfor Dave Ross (flanked by Rick Carrier and Tony Smith.

Dave’s a pilot for Airborne Express. Rick’s doing defense contract work out of

Schreiver AFB and Tony’s working for an energy firm in Denver.

Lured by rumors of a multi-kegger, Tony, Mike Shanahan and Jim Taylor all descended upon Sue and Dave’s place in Monument when Sue’s former roommate Tammy Rank

stopped by for a visit earlier this year. Tamra currently works in AMC A-1, which may or may not be one of those multi-theatre complexes.

Mike works for the EPA (I can’t type that without thinking of the Simpsons movie; eee-pah! eee-pah!) in Denver. Jim’s a substitute teacher in Monument, and occasionally teaches at Sue’s daughter’s elementary school.

Sue went on to say she’s currently doing speechwriting and other communications-related stuffand has even written two books for high school kids who are contemplating USAFA or Annapolis. I’m not sure what the book titles are, but I’m guess something along the lines of Hey, Why Go To West Point?

Paul Vernoski reports that his wife, Barbara, recently won the Mrs. New Jersey American Queen contest. As a mother of seven kids (!), she’d never even had the time to enter a pageant before, but will now be representing New Jersey at the national pageant in Daytona, FI..

Hugh “Hughbob” Funk wrote in to let us know he, Penne and their two2 sons, Christian (19) and Spencer (16) are all just funky dory and have been living in Melbourne, FL since 1995. Christian and Spencer are both Eagle Scouts, which from personal experience means they’ll probably both end up as SERE survival instructors.

Originally with American, Hugh’s been flying for UPS since ’95 and is now a 757/767 Captain on the international circuit. He’s also in the Reserve as commander of the 39th Rescue Squadron and pinned on 0-6 in June. Like most Bohicans who have been writing in, he plans to be at the 25th reunion this fall.

Using his “south of the equator” alias of “Raimundo,” Ray Blust shot me an email to say he saw Dave “Treat Me” Ruffley at the Pittsburgh airport, which is Dave’s childhood home (Pittsburgh, that is not the airport). Dave’s currently looking into a full-time teaching position at Colorado College, which would be especially cool because he could give cadets the scoop on upcoming CC parties to crash. Dave’s daughter is finishing high school this year and his son is wrapping up a four-year stint in the Navy. Both Dave and Raimundo report they’ll be manning the margarita booth at the reunion.

For those of us who have been following the presidential election (and who -

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hasn’t?), you can hear agreat story from Bill Changose at www.breitbart.tv/html/ 68124.html. It’s kind ofold news now, but transcript goes something like this: “The pilot who commanded the C-17 aircraft on which Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., flew into Bosnia says there wasn't even a bumblebee flying around when the aircraft landed... Colonel William‘Goose’ Changose told radio talk show host Rusty Humphries today that the area was secured for the March 25,

Colorado Springs, CO 80908

1996, landing, with tanks around the base and helicopters flying overhead. ‘I

www.usafa84.com

gotta tell ya, I will give it to the commander ofAir Base Eagle. He had that place -you know, not only were there no bullets flying around, there wasn't abumblebee flying around,’ the pilot told Humphries. Clinton's trip to Bosnia has become an election issue because ofher

repeated references to the sniper danger that was there the day she landed. She has used the trip as a reference point when she describes her foreign policy experience.

Bill also notes he was appointed by the President to three more years on the USAFABoard ofVisitors, where he serves as Chair. So ifyou want good seats for ”

a USAFA football game, you now know who to

Mike Jensen

12035 Milam Road

l-(800)-G0-AFA-G0 michaeljensen@remax.net

Thankyou! Great updates! Go to www.usafa84.com for more. AND the next time you send out a note, tell those who you see to sign up too!

Not at all ready for this! First and foremost, our 25th reunion is next year! I will be workingwith the AOG for our options. Let me know what you want to do for that momentous occasion.

blackmail, er, talk to.

The Big Island is sort of our home away from home when it comes to vacations, and as luck would have it, Beth and Chuck Jones and their kids were visiting the same time as Noelle, the girls and I were. When we happened to fly in during a hurricane, Chuck called me to say he knew I’d arrived because he

being interviewed by a local reporter (the gist of the interview being, “Are you really crazy enough to fly from Honolulu to Kona in a hurricane?”). We later got together for a great dinner at Merriman’s up in Waimea, and, in true cadet fashion, found a way to sneak copious amounts of rum out to the pool at Chuck’s hotel after the bars closed. saw me on TV

From left are Sam Cox, Terry Feehan, Gen Schwartz (confirmed as 19th CSAF,

Joneses and Popes on The Big Island.

Speaking ofhotel pools, MarkAbbott and Colin Moffat sent me a photo from Dakar, Senegal, where the two ex-Air Serve pilots were laying over en route to Jo’burg. I always say if you can’t trust the local water, drink the local beer, but Mark and Colin took the adage to a new extreme by drinking the local beer in

Class of’73), John Thompson, and Jeff Lofgren, ourvery own Class of 19841Star Selects, none of whom had ever written into Checkpoints! (So I guess I made a bad career move as scribe!) Sam will be our next Commandant at USAFA (Change of Command scheduled for Oct 15). Terry is the Vice Commander, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, JT is currently Chief of Staff, Air Force Materiel Command at WrightPatterson AFB, and Jeff is Vice Commander, First Air Force at Tyndall. Not shown is Cheryl (DeVita) Roberson... there with her husband (BGen (S) Darryl, ’83). Great job!

Nowfor some updates from some of our other Superstars!

Steve Shepro just left vice command at Balad to take command ofAndrews AFB (316th Wing). Herman Baker is working for Consolidated Edison Company in NYC for 21 / 2 years now. A Colonel in the USAFR. Barb Walker got married on Sep 1 last year. Her husbands name is Steve Wiley from Scotland (they love the

brough). Barb has three daughters: Amber (CU), Brittany (HS) and Chloe' (middleschooler). And her cancer is in remission! Sold Thunder and Buttons in Feb to Jeff Mielke ’80 and his wife, Hillary!

Also doing well is Doug Fogle back with Southwest Airlines; he and his family had some great times this summer in Italy and their family reunion.

the local water.

Mark Abbott and Colin Moffat, drinking likefish.

Actually, the family and I just saw Colin, Sophie and their girls in the south of France in late June (Sophie’s clan is from that area). Mof fired up his “Sea Eagle” (a Zodiac-type boat) daily and took us to some of his favorite rockjumping sites in the calanques around Cassis and Toulon. Fully provisioned with baguettes, saucisson, camembert and (most crucially) pastis, a splendid time was had by all.

As always, Wade Wheeler writes the next article. Although you’ll never actually see Wade (since becoming an Army guy, he’s always camouflaged), you can easily contact him at wwade83@verizon.net. So blast him an email with some fodder for the next class news. And, hey, don’t even think about missing the reunion in November. It’s guaranteed to be the event of the season.

Visit the AOG Web Site

Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and More!

www.usafa.org 114

The Fogle Family Rich "Bugs" Call is still at UPS (looks as cute as Bradshaw in those brown shorts!) and has just been reassigned to the left seat on the 747-400 in Anchorage. Bugs is still living in Albuquerque. Scott Welker made 0-6, but retired before he pinned on. He is the new surgeon for the Walla Walla Clinic in Washington. Our oldest living grad, Tom Kolkmeier, is a Plant Engineer for a John Morrell plant located in Springdale, Ohio (Northern Cincinnati). Oldest daughter, Heidi, was married in August this year. As the most senior (agewise) in the class, he hit the "magical” 50 in July. He would tell everyone what it felt like to turn 50, if he could only remember! Another daughter, Katrina, is up at Ohio State studying engineering. His son is a high school junior and two daughters are still in grade school! (I’ve lost count... five kids?)

John Weigand commutes to PAFB as 0-6 in USAFR, Reserve Advisor to Director of Ops, HQ NORAD. Brent "Mongo" Johnson commands the 611 Air Support Group responsible for 40 remote sites throughout Alaska. His son plans on becoming a pararescue specialist with the Alaska Guard. Joel Henness is leaving Houston! After 10 years in the Texas Air National Guard, he just got

picked up to be the ANG advisor to 12th AF CC, at Davis-Monthan. So Joel, wife and 3.5 year old are heading to Tucson. They are looking for a sub in Houston to keep Doi Heckler out of trouble for the next four years. (Sounds like a job for Jeff Hays (who returned back home with Gina and the girls!)

Everyone’s best friend, Eric Wallace owns and operates Left Hand Brewery.

Their Left Hand Milk Stout won the Gold for sweet stout at the World Beer Cup in April for the second time in a row. This is probably the most prestigious award in the world and it takes place every two years. Left Hand Sawtooth Ale was named the best "bitter" in the US by the New York Times. Wife, Cinzia, runs the tasting room at the brewery, so anyone stopping by should say hi and make yourself known to her, so she can track Eric down. Speaking of beer, Bob Perry and I keep talking about grabbing one, and by the time you read this hopefully we have. His wife, Lori, went back to work in the English Department at the Zoo as permanent staff.

Joe Sherman reports family is good (wife, Gail, daughter Meagan, son Spencer, dogs Elvis and Lily). His only big family news is honorable daughter will be starting college in the fall at Virginia Tech, not that he is or old enough to have a child starting college. (Tell that to Kolkmeier!) He has been flying Sikorsky S-61s and now the newS-92 helicopters for the last year with Cougar Helicopters out of St John's, Newfoundland and Galliano, LA, providing passenger service for oil workers to offshore platforms as well as search and rescue and medical evacuation response for oil companies.

Scott and Kelly Cain left the Air Force in 1992 for California. He went to work for my father-in-law in the wholesale fuel and lubricants industry. Been distributing fuels and lubes ever since! They formed a petroleum trucking company with another partner and have been running trucks for the past couple ofyears.

Married to his beautiful wife, Kelly. They have two grown sons, Ryan (23) and Brandon (20). Ryan finished his undergraduate work at Azusa Pacific University, nowin his second year as a Physician's Assistant student. Brandon is junior at Fresno Pacific University majoring in English Literature, and History.

Tiina Mundy reports that Carol Pugh O'Heam and her husband, Cal, just adopted a little boy, Kelly, from China. Monica (Schweitz) Smith’s nephew, Nick Reed, is at USAFA as a basic right now. She says they already get email!

Wallace R. Fajardo separated in 1999 as a Major from AETC and is nowPresident and Principal Engineer ofAdvanced Consulting and Engineering Solutions, Inc. Living in Dania Beach, FL, they have two boys, Wallace and Julian, and wife Lillian of 24 years.

Wanda Wright

Colonel Keith Lambert sent an invitation to his change-of-command ceremony as a Mission Support Group Commander at Moody AFB, GA. Regrettably, I was not able to attend the ceremony due a major test activity I had to support on my job. I tried to call and congratulate Keith, but

might expect, things were pretty hectic and I could not actually reach Keith the morning of the ceremony. Keith, if you’re reading this... know that I’m extremely proud of you... old roomie! Ireallywishlcouldhavemadeit. Hopefully, I’ll get to see you see and your family before too long.

Another friend I’m reallyproud of is ColonelWanda Wright.

Wanda sent an e-mail with a couple of pictures of herself and as you

her two kids.

Wanda said she is still in Arizona. She reported that she is

the Director of Staff at the Joint Force Head quarters in Phoenix, AZ. She said she has been working hard as the COMAFFOR on the Operation Jump Start mission assisting the border patrol on the southwest border to keep out illegal

personnel. Wanda said her kids, Tyler and Jordyn, are growing like weeds.

Wanda said her husband is always taking the pictures so he is never in one.

Additionally, Wanda said she emailed Susan Bessilieu. Wanda said that Sue is in South Carolina doing great works as a nurse. Wanda said she hopes to see Sue when she travels to the East Coast.

It’s short and sweet this time. I hope you enjoyed it. Keep those cards and letters (and e-mails) coming! Until the next time... Q

Gary Burg 9301 Harness Horse Ct.

Springfield, VA 22153 (703)455-3176 rkacolella@cox.net colellar@ndu.edu

The Fajardo Family

Jerry Stanton became a full partner in the patent law firm Harrington & Smith PC at the start of this year and has added two more attorneys since then.

This summer he went skydiving with my nephew who is also interning at the law office while his wife and two kids are off at summer camp. That was his first jump since the airmanship course in 1981, and the first time ever for my nephew.

Next year they plan to run with the bulls in Pamplona, so if anyone else is interested in that for the first week of July2009 drop him a line! (Sounds like a TDY for the new Commandant.) Kurt Hornbacker is in the Bay Area at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. An analyst for the export licensing program to ensure that U.S. companies don't export commodities that could be used to make WMD for the bad guys.

That is all the room we have. Go to the website and GO FALCONS! jens

Greetings Fellow Classmates: I regretfully report the sad news that one of our classmates from Mach One has passed away. The Association of Graduates was informed that Steven Struck, CS-01 passed away on 7 May. Steve left the service in 1997 as a Chief Warrant Officer (CW5) serving in the Army Reserves—likely a unique distinction amongst his many classmates. Upon leaving the service he became a pilot for United Airlines. Condolences may be sent to his family in care of his wife Tricia: 9EsternayDr, Foothills Ranch CA 92610-1929, (949) 463-6964.

Frank “Q.” Williams 13209 Topsfield Court

Herndon, VA 20171

(703)657-3227 USAFA1985@aol.com Steve and Tricia Hi everyone I hope everything is going well you with all. This quarter’s column is mainly

comprised of inputs from Keith Lambert, who sent a card me an invitation to his change-of-command ceremony and Wanda Wright, who sent an e-mail update with a couple of pictures.

I was pleased to hear from fellow CS-32 Road Runner Alum Cindy Durham-

Reese-Zimmerle. (She never could decide on a last name.) Cindy is working in the C-17 program out in California. She sends along memories; evenings well spent discharging testosterone in ye olde seminary: “It just seems like yesterday you were practicing the "fireman's carry" on me in our hallway... I 115

still tell the stories of the races we had down the hallway riding on our laundry bags... always had to watch out for that "kamikaze" Ambrose NH Kim.” She sent her email: cynthia.a.zimmerle@boeing.com as well.

Because I was desperate for material and given the fact we haven’t heard from Ambrose NH Kim since he left us oh so long ago while flying the mighty eightengined Stratofortress at the now defunct Wurtsmith Air Patch in northern

Michigan (he had the timing nailed on the bomb runs, he just couldn’t hold down a flight lunch) I searched and found photographic evidence of him hiding out in South Korea on his Facebook profile—you will have to join or go on-line to see it (which by the way isn’t a bad way to keep in touch with the scribe). As for Ambrose NH Kim, I recall we convinced the freshman just about everyyear that the “NH” in his name

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FighterSquadron/917thWinghereatBarksdaleAFB. We, especially myself and our five children, along with family and friends were all very proud and honored to be there to watch him make history that day! I could go on and on about him, and his day, etc. --1 must admit I'm probably pretty biased”.

Michelle you have every right to be. Please Congratulate Brady on behalf of a Grateful Nation for this tremendous accomplishment.

Dave Stilwell sent me a short note and a picture to accompany the follow-

stood for “Not Hawaiian” It was always a good night when he found out we had corrupted another underclass.

I found a bunch of you on Facebook actually. I even found Hiawatha Newton on Facebook now I want an honest count how many of you didn’t know we had a classmate named Hiawatha? Count me. But the real questionis; howis it Andy Hart, KenNorris and Jose Rolando Alvarado-Avellan (the man who absolutely got THE most value out of a nametag at the zoo as it wound around the back of his A-Jacket) have time for a Facebook profile but no time to update the scribe at the Zoo? I also found Joel Schubbe he is hanging out in Baltimore, MD working on the Joint Strike Fighter his Facebook photo offers evidence of why you don’t want to upload pictures to Facebook when you are drunk!

So my new source for Scribe Articles you got it: Facebook. Can’t get you folks to write so, I am going cyber on you.

Good news from the Colella front-1 escaped the Joint Staff and find myself back at the National War College as a member ofthe faculty what j oy! I can’t decide if I felt better after recognition or after leaving the Pentagon pretty sure -

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beenoneof the few lucky enough to have flown the Warthog his whole Air Force career. He is still racking up the hours today as I write this to you! Over the past 20 years, we have been stationed all over, but have been here in the 'South' (both transplants from the North) since 2000 and love it (can't say we miss cold winters!

Brady is a flight and weapons instructor for the 47th

ing: “Picture is of Tom Sharpy, Dave Stilwell, Scott Murray and Don Wingate at ‘The Muff-inn’ at the CAOC celebrating 21 years with Spirit Cheese. Note Don promptly escorted us off the premises for throwing said Spirit Cheese.

Just like at the Reunion!”

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it was the Pentagon.

Recent CGO of the Quarter Gary Burg is up next

he is back from the Desert (one S) and while earning CGOQ honors may have also created a Facebook profile using that precious desert bandwidth or maybe not tune in next time.

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IHl

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Ezra Vance

7320 Brixham Circle Castle Rock, CO 80108 Home: (303) 6885431 Work: (303) 304-1287 ezravance@hotmail.com

Finally, I got a brief note from Dave Holland. Thanks for taking up the scribe job; I've enjoyed the reading, so thought I'd drop you a quick note and picture.

We' ve been here at RAF Mildenhall for four years now and in command of the 352 Operations Support Squadron for the last two years. 5 Jun 08 is the changeof-command date and then we are headed off to Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA. Dave Sullivan and Matt Smith will also be there. Dave is a UAV Sq/ CC at Nellis and Matt is a fellow Spec Ops Sq/ CC at Kadena. Sorry, I didn't make it out for the reunion, so I don't have much recent info on anymore folks. The attached picture is from a family vacation to southern Germany last year. The Neuschwanstein Castle is the backdrop and blessing number 5, Luke Holland, arrived Dec 07. God has truly blessed our family and we are looking forward to a year of school together. Thanks again for efforts, they are appreciated.

Wings From Heaven I have a very brief submission for this issue of Checkpoints. I understand that

there is major election about to take place, but more than three of you should be able to send me an update. In fact, it was only two of you, since Brady

Glick’s wife wrote in for Brady. I hope to hear from more of you and please reach out to everyone you know and stay in contact with. I am happy to reach out to the people I know and the people that I have already heard from, but I don’t know that you really want to read the same stuff over and over again.

First comes this great note I received from Michelle Glick (Brady Glick' s wife). “I knew he wouldn't get the following information unless I took it upon myself to make sure you got it. I just finished up leafing through Brady's most recent edition of Checkpoints magazine, and read that you were looking/needing some content. Well, I have some. (Thankyou Michelle for reading the article and most importantly for responding to my plea.) Last month, (June 13th, ’08) Brady set the all time record to have flown the most hours (as of that day, 4,666 hours, to be exact) in the history of the A-10 Warthog! After finishing up with flight school in 1988, he has flown the Hawg. He says he has

So with that final update, I will close this very brief update. I hope that all of you are well and that I will receive much more material in the weeks and

months ahead. I hope that you are safe, and if you have a moment, take the time to drop me a note to let me know what you are doing and what you have been up to. Kindest Regards, Ezra.

Mark Peters

2437 Bedford Circle

Bedford, TX 76021-1823

(817) 937-9696 pylt@yahoo.com

The Glickfamily celebrates Brady’s recordflight time in theA-10.

116

Hello ’88!

Lots of input this time so I’ll keep it short and to the point. Todd Tofaute wrote in after an appeal from your trusty scribe: “Lynn and I are trying to hold the title ‘Oldest Parents of ’88.’ Our son, Charles “Chas” Henry Tofaute, was born on 3 May2007, nine months after Joe Mazur’s wedding in Las Vegas. You can do the math. Our recommendation: don’t go to aTim McGraw-Faith Hill concert. Just kidding. What a true blessing Chas has been and his older sisters Jessie, 11, and Brie, 8, just adore him. I’ve attached a couple of photos for you.

The family picture has, from left, Chas (1), me, Jessie (11), Lynn, and Brie (8).

I’m a Lt Col in the Reserves currently serving as an Admission Liaison Officer (ALO) in Arizona.”

The Tofaute Thanksgiving (with latest addition to thefamily).

David Gaines wrote with news of a transition for his family: “The Gaines family is hangingup the Air Force uniform and trying its hand as gentlemen farmers in Kentucky. We're settling in Versailles, KY (about 10 miles west of Lexington), in

single-wide with a built-in still and acres and acres of com mash. Please drop in if you're ever in the Bluegrass—we'll have the corn squeezins ready!”

Dave can be reached at 3095 Tyrone Pike, Versailles, KY40383.

In June I had a short email from Tom Sadlo who is certainly seeing much of the world on behalf ofthe U SAF: “Just made the time to look through the latest Checkpoints and decided to drop you a note. I just returned from a 6+ month deployment where I was the Operations Officer in a Navy unit at Al Asad AB, Iraq. Upon returning I was pulled into the mis-shipment to Taiwan issue and have been working that ever since. Dave Briar is the Provost Marshall at Yong San and should be moving soon.” Tom can be reached at DSN 223-5903.

July brought a descriptive note from Allan and Claire Wright. “Just a quick blurb from Stuttgart, Germany. I work for the MITRE Corporation in support of DoD ISR systems at EUCOM and for the last year plus, AFRICOM as well, with my wife, Claire, and son Nathan. Over at EUCOM, I had the opportunity to reconnect with several ’88ers: Colonel Mike Gantt and his wife, Erika, and kids. Mike moved on to Aviano a couple of months ago. I’ve also bumped into Lt Col Jeff Wohlford and Col Martha McSalley, who's the AFRICOM Joint Operations Center chief. Incidentally, for those who were smacks in Stalag 17,1 sawColonel Eric Beene (’86), who's the J5 Executive Officer. Have heard recently from a couple of folks a year or two behind us, James Hodges (’90) moving to a NATO job in Heidelberg after a tour in the box, and Andy

Colonel Bouley’s father was also in the military, and achieved the rank of chief master sergeant. Mr. Bouley recalled when his little brother, Tom, was born, weighing 10+ lbs. at birth. "Back then, dad was a tech sergeant, and because ofwhat they were paid in 1965, had to take as many jobs as possible to provide for us six kids, but it was mainly to provide for Tom." Mr. Bouley continued to speak of how people take things for granted during their normal day-to-day lives, and how a tragedy reminds you of past experiences. ”We are shocked, we mourn, we cry and then we laugh. In Tom's case, there are a lot of funny things, so we will be laughing for a long time."

Mr. Bouley told how Colonel Bouley loved to read, and one of his favorite books was a fiction book about Rangers in the Vietnam War. Charlie Mike means continue the mission, he explained.

"For those who really knewTom, you know he is probably looking down on us completely amused by all of this stuff for him. But if he could, he would tell us to go out and continue the mission," said Mr. Bouley.

Colonel Bouley entered the Air Force with his commission from the Air Force Academy in 1988. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

In lieu of flowers, a non-profit memorial fund has been established for Colonel Bouley's family. Donations can be sent to "Thomas Bouley Memorial Fund" at the Armed Forces Bank, 4325 N. Washington Blvd., RO. Box9719, Nellis AFB,

NV89191.

Please be sure to note our reunion from 12 to 15 November.

a nice

Hamann, (’90),nowaDAOinNorthAfrica. Great email correspondence continues with the Thunderbolts of 34, but anyone going to the reunion can catch up with the crew. Folks retiring—how’dyou guys get so old?”

Lastly, at deadline I received the following notice from the AOG: “TheAOGhas been notified of the recent death of Lt Col Thomas A Bouley. He was killed in an F15 accident near Las Vegas. Condolences may be sent to his widow, Mrs. Toni L. Bouley at2029 Royal Gardens Place, Las Vegas NV89084.” FromACC I have the following edited press release: Nellis celebrates life of fallen Airmen: Lt. Col. Thomas Bouley Memorial, by Airman 1st Class Ryan Whitney, Nellis AFB Public Affairs. 8/5/2008-Nellis Air Force Base. More than 800 Airmen, family members, and friends gathered to celebrate the life of a fallen Nellis Airman at the Nellis Base Chapel and Nellis Base Theatre Aug. 4,2008. Lt. Col. Thomas "Moses" Bouley, 65th Aggressor Squadron commander, was killed when the U.S. Air Force F-15D Eagle, a two-seater hewas piloting, crashed on the Nevada Test andTraining Range during a Red Flag training exercise July30,2008.

"Todaywe gather to honor Colonel Bouley, or Moses, as many knew him," said Capt. Dave Horton, Nellis Air Force Base chaplain. "Moses was a commander, a leader, a fellow Airman, and a great pilot. But before that, he was a loving father, son, brother, friend, and a great guy to know. The legacy he leaves behind is a rich one."

During the service, friends, family and coworkers shared humorous anecdotes and tales about the Eagle Scout born in Chateauroux, France.

Throughout his illustrious career, Colonel Bouley served in numerous capacifies where he affected the lives of individuals, as well as the bigger picture of the Air Force. From teaching as an instructor pilot, to flying with the Royal Air Force, to serving as the interim Red Flag commander Colonel Bouley's life had global reach.

"Moses has touched the life of more people than we could ever fit into this chapel or theatre," said Col. David Stillwell, 57th Adversary Tactics Group commander. "We will miss him more than we could ever say."

"This time last year, we were figuring out who was going to be the 65th AGRS commander, and there were lots of strong candidates to choose from," Colonel Stilwell continued. "While looking through the performance reports I saw a general who I had worked with in the past. I spoke with him about Moses and his response was perfect. Only two words 'Hire him.' How can you argue with that?"

Paul W. Tibbets,

IV

PSC 80, Box 76 APO AE, 09702 Home: 011-32-2-251-2772

E-mail:

p2a2@skynet.be Class web site: http://www. usafaclasses.org/1989/

Greetings classmates! Preparations and fundraising for our 20th reunion are going well! We now sit with approximately $125,000 in cash on hand and pledges for the class gift proj ect. On behalfof the class, I can’t thank those ofyou enough who have generously donated to this great cause. With agoalof$150,000,we are over 80% there, so we still need your help! The class offleers and a few other classmates have started Phase II of our

fundraising effort by e-mailing as many ofyou as we can find.

If you are able to give, great! If not, we will remove you from our contact list so you will not be bothered again. As a reminder, the money raised will go towards our Heritage Trail plot (thanks to Mike Chapa for walking the different plots and selecting a fantastic location) where we will honor Kevin Shea, pavers for all our fallen classmates and several cadet programs. If you have pledged, please send in your donations as soon as possible as the work on the bust for Kevin (see preliminary

drawing below) cannot begin until the funds are received. Also, this would be a good time to contact other classmates you know and encourage them to give.

Let’s spread the word!! More information can be found at our class web site listed at the beginning of this article, or you can contact our class gift POC, Alex “Gonzo” Gonzalez-Rojas at gonzo5insp@hotmail.com.

--

-

Artist’s drawing ofKevin’s bustfor the Heritage Trail.

On other reunion developments, we are looking for volunteers who are interested in serving as squadron POCs. Some of the functions include:

Help organize individual gatherings/functions for the respective squadron for our upcoming reunion; Help gather additional help and support from squadron mates for overall planning and execution of reunion functions; Assist in getting the word out and make contact with members from now 117

through the reunion to ensure everyone is notified and informed of reunion scheduling, actions and requirements.

This is a great way to get involved and help spread the word. As mentioned previously, one of our biggest challenges right now is just getting in touch with everyone! If you are interested, please drop me an e-mail and I will get you in touch with the right folks. Additionally, we are working on a project to award Larry McNeel, who passed away in a glider accident fall semester of our senior year, a posthumous degree at the reunion. Lastly, many thanks to Rondall Rice, who is doing a superb job developing the design for our Heritage Trail plot.

report to Athens, Greece to do almost exactly what I was doing in Fort Worth with Lockheed. A Greek aerospace company was awarded a contract to modify USAF F- 16s from Spangdahlem and Aviano and I'm the FCF pilot flying the jets

when they're done. Still don't have a house and I've been here since 29 May.

Familyjust got here last week. Our newest daughter was bom 29 March. Ellyana Jean Newman. It's a zoo brother!

Check out the class web site for these and other reunion information and updates. I will keep you up to speed in Checkpoints each quarter. We look forward to a great reunion! On to the news.

As I mentioned last quarter, Doug “Mugsy” Malone retired a few months ago and is he says life is great! He and the family have now returned to the US where Mugsy is working as a contractor for USJFCOM. He recently had lunch with Dave Doe and stumbled across Dave Banko, who is a senior project manager

for SunGard doing software development. He lives south of London and is doing some missionary work for his church. Thanks Mugsy!

Greg Newman family with and new daughter Ellyana.

George Halley: We returned to Colorado Springs last year and have been working for Sanborn Mapping Company. In August, I am being promoted to aerial acquisition department manager and will mean be in charge of seven airplanes. Once again, this Space Operations major is put in charge of a bunch of pilots.

Col James Fairchild, Jacqui, and Doug pose as the Malones leave our active dutyAir Force after serving with honor and distinction for 20 years. You will be missed!

It was also great to hear from Mark Synovitz, who is enjoying command of

AMC Air Ops Squadron, Detachment 2, at Altus AFB. He enjoys leading this

small, highly professional HQ AMC unit in conducting semi-annual FAA-

equivalent KC-135 andC-17 simulator certifications around the world. While home from these short TDYs, Mark and his folks maintain flight currency by augmenting instruction of unqualified AETC FTU students. Thanks Mark!

Joe Tegtmeyer (’88), goodfriend ofMark,followinghis wet down from his last KC-135 flight at Altus. Joe justfinished his 18-month tour as the OSS/CCat Altus and is off to Fairchild AFB as the deputy OG/CC. That’s a wrap for this quarter. On a side note, we are trying to expand our class web site, so please send some photos and short comments on your activities to our web master, Scott Shinberg, at scott.shinberg@gmail.com. We will post these on the Class History section. Best wishes to you and your families.

Take care and God bless.

Mark Leonard: Aloha from Maui! Been a while since I last sent an update. I am currently assigned as the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Detachment 15 Commander for the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site (AMOS). Kimberly, Josh (13), Luke (9), James (7), and I have been here for ayear already. AMOS is the home of the largest DoD telescope.

It's on top of the 10K foot summit of Haleakela. B. Scott Hunt (also CS-15) is also stationed here... at least for a month or two more. We've had many visitors to the island including Carl Schaefer and his family. We are really enjoying the assignment and the island. Ifyou or any Mighty ’90 grads find themselves on Maui, I hope y' all look us up!

Mark Leonard and Carl Schaefer and families.

Ruthann (Shelton) Fisher’s Husband, John: Ruthann is out of town not sure what you need for updates. I can tell you that she was recently moved to be the Deputy Division for Intel, Surveillance Reconnaissance Division within --

the 601 st AOC here at Tyndall. Putting in long hours to get her arms around the challenges she was hired to correct/improve.

Ken DeGraaf: I am stationed at the Alpena CRTC (APN) so it'd be great to hear from anyone coming through for training. I did a four-month TDY to HQUSAFE last Oct-Jan. Excellent experience for a whirlwind tour. Other than

that, ops normal.

James Sanchez

Mark Phelps: Being a prior enlisted preppie had some perks while being a

8301 Emerald Circle

cadet, but the best came recently when I was able to retire from the U SAFR on

North Richland Hills, TX 76180

Cell: (817) 881-6357

Feb 1,2008. That date was 20 years to day, though I still can't believe I'm that old. IreallyenjoyedmytimeintheUSAFbutrmhappytobedone. I've been

Web: WWW.USAFA90.COM

flying with FedEx for almost eight years now and probably see at least two classmates every time I'm at work there is a BUNCH of ’90 guys here. Now if I can make it to age 60 and remember to turn in some form in 17 years I' 11 get a retirement check. Cheers!!

This update is short; sorry about that. I think I need to redo the original USAFA90.com website. Between MySpace, FaceBook, Plaxo, and the other gazillion social networking sites, it’s hard to keep up with people. When I have time I’ll redo the site and we’ll be back on track.

—

alohatiger@gmail.com John Tree: I was promoted to Colonel in the USAF Reserves this past May and have a new job as the Senior IMA to the Director of Global Channel Operations in theTACC at Scott AFB, IL. Greg Newman: I was shoveled a short notice assignment. I had four weeks to 118

Carson Tavenner 6828 Raccoon Court

Waldorf, MD 20603

43%

■ksSifers

(202) 231-2484 DSN: (312) 428-2484 Home: (301) 374-2752

Carson_wendy@comcast.net First, I want to give a big “THANKYOU” to Angie Cadwell for sending individual emails to those who’ve been neglecting their info on the website for so long. There have been just dozens and dozens offolks checking in! Awesome!

One thing, though. If you are writing something for Checkpoints, you can go ahead and send it directly to me. Angie is very kind to forward them, but you can save her the chore by sending it direct. I have changed my home email to make this easier to be in touch; I was not monitoring the Hotmail account

adequately. For any of you who might’ve written and never received a reply, please accept my sincere apologies and write again.

To complement Angie’s effort on contacting folks slowly but surely for the 20-year reunion, here’s a list ofthe more than 200 names who don’t have an “as of” date in their personal info. Maybe some data is there, but we have no idea how old it is. In 50% of the cases, there is no other data whatsoever. In a few cases, it is Reese AFB”! Hmmm. If you know where these folks are, contact them and tell them to log onto usafa91 .com and go from there to get linked in with us: “

baby teeth on the command experience. For the sake of not leaving out anyone who I’d forget to mention, allow me to give you all one big GO GET ‘EM, ’91!

Never let ’em see you sweat.

Lynn Gawell has been sending me a few friendly emails from her commanding perch at Wright-Pat; she travels to DC fairly often, but we’ve both been too caught up in our schedules to actually visit with one another. Thanks for staying in touch, Lynn!

My old roommate, Don Yu, recently wrote in and gave me a hard time (of course). If you can’t rely on your roommate to point out your shortcomings, who CAN you rely on! Don is working with UPS in Texas, BTW. Todd Stewart is in the area and tells me Stan Bennett lives in Chicago, but is in the DC area quite a bit while flying for FedEx. Dave Siegrist just took command ofthe 1st Airlift Squadron at Andrews supporting POTUS (pretty cool, ya gotta admit!). He’s there with Tom Thibault (who apparently does not work) and Stef Eling (hard at work as the 89 OSS/DO).

Joe Rubier wrote in with, ”I've been with Jetblue for a little over three years now. I was flying the C-141/C-17at McGuire but it got to be too much so I'm

doing the ALO thing now in New Jersey. At Jetblue are Dave Deames, John Riordan, Dan Zubrid and Kurt Schuster. I also ran into John Wagner during an Orlando layover. He's a squadron commander at Cape Canaveral; his oldest son, Jeff, is applying to USAFA.” Susan (Rank) Foy gave birth to her second child, Aiden Karl Foy, 16 July.

Congratulations, Susan!

I will write more later when we have actual details, but Jim Dutton is about to get assigned to a shuttle mission! I would like to go down to Florida to watch!

Timothy Adams, Craig Allton, Jeffrey Anderson, William Anderson, Jr., Michael Andrews, Jr., Douglas Annanie, Anthony Baade, Anna Bailey, Pride

Will you join me?

Barker, Lane Beene, Brian Bernett, Kenneth Bibb, Jr, James Blackburn III, Kevin Blanchard, William Blitt, Jr, Steven Brahm, Blake Brewer, Brian Brindle, Andrew Bruce, Geoffrey Burns, Michael Callender, Manuel Candelaria, Jr, Cherianne Carlisle, David Chapman, Boon Chng, Thomas Choi, Mark Ciero, James Clark, Richard Clark, Gregory Colby, Christopher Cortez, John Culton III, Margaret Cundiff, Jonas D' Andrea, Christopher Darcy, Anthony Davis, Amy Dayon, Christopher Decolli, David Deniz, Patrick Donley, Michelle Dubois, Larry Earls, Jr, Andrew English, Bradford Everman, Roy Fatur, Marc Fisher, Mark Flanders, Daniel Fonte, Jr, Elizabeth Frederick, Heather Fries, Michael Gartrell, Jeffrey Gauser, Ohn Gordon, Max Grannan, Robert Grey, Jr, Mark Grotelueschen, Robert Haataja, Peter Hagis, Peter Hahn, Sandra Harrington, Robert Hayes, Thomas Jahn, Thomas Jensen, Antoine Johnson, James Johnson, Lyle Johnson, Mike Johnson, Wi-Suk Jung, Kathy Kennedy, Brian Kilian, Dave Knolmayer, Ky Kobayashi, Leisa Kollars, Mark Kruse, David Laione II, Kent Landreth, Kimberli Lane, Glen Lehman, Michael Lehnhardt, Stephanie Lind, Linda Lingg, Paul Lockwood, Richard Louthan, Daniel Malles, Daniel Maruyama, Christopher Mayerle, Glenn Mayes, Ernest McClure, Dave McCune, Ronald McMinn, Russell Michaud, Marty Miller, Eric Moeller, Marc Moeller, Timothy Monarski, Thomas Moreno II, Benjamin Morley, Timothy Murphy, Jeff Neal, Ken Norris, Inalegwu Odeh, Esme Ohshita, Mark Oldford, Brian O'Rourk, DanOrtwerth, Eric Patten, Scott Pattison, Tommy Peasley, DirkPorath, Edward Porta, Paul Powell, Heather Pringle, Mike Puralewski, Paul Rades, Kevin Raymond, Colin Reilly, John Riordan, Somporn Rompayom, Joseph Roth, Glenn Ruhl, Russell Sakati, Vanessa Savas, Charles Schlegel, John Scott II, Andrew Simmons, Shannon Simms, Ken Skillern, Jr, Jeffrey Slevin, Brian Smith, Bryan Smith, Marcus Smith, Visut Sompugdee, Mike Stewart, Jr, Leroy Strain, Donald Strickland, Thaddeus Summers, Richard Svoboda, Bartz Sykes, BradleyTebrugge, Peter Teller, Micul Thompson, Jr, JohnTokish, George Tombe IV Ken Van Eyk, Juliana Walker, Justin Wafrath, Linda Washburn, Jenny Watson, RodneyWeaver, RichardWells, Robert Wolverton, Mike Wood, DavidWooten,

porting 14AF’s space operations in both capacities.

Exciting words from Art Romero: He and Chris Howard started a company recruiting executives into financial service companies. He also does a lot of gliding up in Boulder as a commercial glider pilot. Art would rather be flying for a living, but for now he gets his "fix" by gliding.

Finally, and most recently, Robb Erickson ascended Mt. Rainier along with three disabled Iraq veterans (two blind, one with a prosthetic leg)! F-15s did a fly-over when they were at the top, too! Robb, that ROCKS! Wish I could have put the whole article from the Klamath Falls paper in here. Not enough room; those interested should definitely check it out! Congratulations as well on the

BenWyborney, KenYu. You can imagine this took us almost to the 1200 word max limit for this column. So, the news from here will be decidedly brief, though there are some GREAT stories I’m have to skip expanding on!

I was privileged to have lunch today with Joe Laville, working with Security Forces on the Air Staff, career-broadening from his usual work with AFOSI. Joe PCSed here from Turkey last year; he still has that youthful, warm, welcoming Laville smile of his! So good to see on a Monday, ya know?

We have at least 40 classmates on the DC local distro; next time maybe I’ll have room to print that list in this column.

Several of our classmates have left the Pentagon this summer to go cut their

JOIN THE SABRE SOCIETY! YOUR MONEY HELPS FUND

CADET WING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNFUNDED. CALL THE AOG FOR INFO.

Scott McLean works as a contractor and a Reservist at Vandenberg AFB, sup-

--

--

Pacific Crest Triathlon Robb!

In closing, I’m excited to announce my own post-Air Force location:

Darrington, WA, less than 30m SW from the entrance to North Cascades NationalPark. You are all invited to comebyforadrinkonthedeckin2013. (I gotta build the house first!).

James S. Mehta

3802 Elbert Ave.

Alexandria, VA 22305 (703) 697-4511; DSN: 227-4511

42 % Members

james.mehta@ogn.af.mil jamesmehta@pentagon.af.mil jamesmehta@earthlink.net Attention in the area, attention in the area. Remember those announcements? Anyway, I guess I now have your attention for another quarter's Check-

points update for Class of 1992.1 accidentally sent the wrong photos when I submitted my last column, so I am going to try to include them this time.

Michelle, Sarah (2), and I continue to enjoy DC. There are so many ways to keep busy in this city and I have also seen a lot of you around here. I frequently get the great opportunity to reconnect with people considering so many people are stationed here, have separated and live here, or just come hereTDY. Passing the torch. Elaine (Riley) Sersun had been planning the regular ’92 lunches here in DC. She and her husband PCSed this quarter, so she turned over the lunch bunch list to Jean Twomey who is a Reservist in the Pentagon. Last time we met in Rosslyn for lunch. There were about nine or ten of us.

I don’t have the whole list of attendees, but sat with Todd McDowell, Steve Broderick, Rick Bailey and Jean. Jean has recently moved to DC and is working a full-time Reserve job at the Joint Staff.

She picked up scheduling the ’92 social events right where Elaine left off. The next event is going to be a Happy Hour which should entice a few more people.

Rick is leaving his tour at the State Department and headed to the NATO Joint Forces Combat Command in the Netherlands. Steve just relocated to the DC area from Phoenix. Steve separated several years ago and is flying for Southwest. As I wrote last column, Todd in AF/JA is moving over to an exec job here at the Pentagon.

Mike Rokaw continues to thrive in the Southern California with Angela, Sophie, and Sammy. Mike wrote, “I am truly enjoying being a SQ CC. It is nice to get to a

point in your career where you can give back to the younger troops and teach them from the mistakes you have made. It is also good to be back in program management and delivering space superiority systems to help the fight.

119

“I oversee three programs and am constantly on the go, but it is great. Last

month I was TDY to the Springs and visited my old stomping grounds at 4 SOPS, where our classmate Tommy Roberts is the commander. It was a nice stroll down memory lane.”

I look forward to seeing Mike on a future TDY. Thanks for the great update!

Iraq contingency. Paul Cairney wrote from the International Zone (IZ) of Baghdad. I’ll let him speak for a while: “I gotta tell you, it has been a regular’92 reunion here. In between the rocket attacks we have constantly bumped into each other coming and going. We managed to get a few of us together for a picture. We frequently bump into each other in the coffee shop in the Embassy, what used to be Saddam's palace

—

not a bad way to spend a war!

Awesomefamily photo ofSteve and Steph Whyte with their nine kids at the

ministry theyfounded—-A Place Called Home (www.apchm.org)—to help support and mentor exceptionalfoster and adoptive parents.

From left are Monte Harner, Skip Pribyl, Michael Bob Starr, Paul "Bo"

Bovanlcovich, and Paul Cairney.

“Monte Hamer finished up a year here working in the Baghdad Urban Planning (aka "BURP" no kidding) where he helped plan out the future develop--

ment of the IZ. Pretty ambitious stuff, including convention centers and golf courses. He scored a Bronze Star out of

here, so he must have known what he

doing! Skip Pribyl is the planner for MNC-IC5 at Camp Victory, but lots of his work happens here in the IZ. Michael Bob Starr was my roomie for our upperclass years in CS-15, so it was a treat to run into him again here. He is the Deputy Chief of the MNF-I Strategy Division, which sounds pretty sexy. He says it involves a lot of thinking deep thoughts and summarizing meaningless bumper stickers on Powerpoint slides.

“Paul" Bo" Bovankovich is the Executive Officer for the Intelligence TransitionTeam of Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq. Yours truly is the Director of Law and Order for the Joint Area Support Group Central, and

was

—

Commander of the IZ Police. Steve Cox couldn't make it for the picture, unfortunately, and he just finished a year here as well. Rush Williams was also here for a few months. He was part of the FBI contingent here, so we got to work together as well as sit and reminisce. Fellow cop and preppie Rudy Cdebaca got paroled from his instructor duties at ACSC to return to the SF world for ayear here in Baghdad. His instructor duties prepped him well to be the Director of Detainee Ops at Camp Victory. Mike Reschke just arrived as the Chief of Stafffor the MNF-I AF Commander out ofVictory Base. I ran into Lisa Thomas recently as well here in the IZ. I saw her as I was coming through Baghdad International Airport, and she is now here for spell. Kevin Cullen is not here in the IZ, but he is the commander ofthe 732d Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Balad. Since I am one of his detachment commanders, I

gotta mention him. He is a tough boss, you know!

”

Donna (Ward) Boyce’s promotion in Dec 07at Pentagon—pinned on by her

husband, Don. Doolie roommate. Out of the blue, I got an email from Dan Charbonneau who was my first roommate 4-degree year. Dan separated as a Captain after an assignment to Korea and has since started a computer training business called CBT Nuggets (www.cbtnuggets.com). He is living in Eugene, OR and has three boys and recently flew to China to pick up his adopted daughter. I visited his website and it is clear he’s doing great things.

That wraps another great True Blue column. Send me a note when you have a moment and those of you in the DC area better call or stop by room 5B919 in the Pentagon. God Bless, James.

yppWi |

j.

*/iff-

Michael D. Sundsted

1805 Macadams Place

Alexandria, VA 22308

(240) 338-9839 Michael.sundsted@afncr.af.mil Class Website:

www.highflight.com

(3 Sabre Society Donors) (Editor’s note: We did not receive a column from Mike for this issue. Please send him your inputs and photosfor the next magazine.)

Quite a True Blue contingent in the IZ—I’m sure there are dozens more

C.C. M. Masotti

throughout theater. Great update, Paul!

Here are the photos from the last column:

psc 116 Box 215 -

APO AE 09777

xjjgp

-

-

syre:

y

W: +33-1-43-12-26-69 or

202-536-2780, 1 (for English) X2669 Cell: +33-1 6-25-74-69-13

cc.masotti@yahoo.com

(3 Sabre Society Donors) (Editor’s note: We did not receive a column from C. C. for this issue. Please send her your inputs and photosfor the next magazine.)

R. Travis Koch

^g|g||lp||gy^ \@wf myjpf&f

Here’s a photofrom Mark and Xavi Slocum’s wedding on 19 Apr 08 at the

Washington National Cathedral.

120

5304 Sports Club Lane

Suffolk, VA 23435 Home: (757) 686-2607 Cell: (850) 499-8242

richard.koch@langley.af.mil traviskoch@yahoo.com

Rex Ballinger here, bringing you the latest update on members of the Class

of 1995... at least as I can tell it...

Nikki (Gumina) and I are still in DC with our two young boys Jude and Zane.

Nikki is finishing the final year of her FP/Psych residency and training for a

energy. Brian lives in Denver, works for a huge engineering firm, and often hangs out with James Manu, who recently recovered from a prolonged epi-

triathlon, Jude is learning to talk via the seven basic responses, and Zane is

sode ofthegout/torn-ligament/dislocated-kneecap.

putting on enough weight to prop for the Zoomie Rugby Football Club.

Apparently, DC is the place to be this summer. Bryan Green and Kenneth Hugh Butler just moved here after their stints at ACSC. Ken is working at SAF / AQ and requested a nod to his Skyraider classmates at ACSC (send us a picture,

John Nemecek was recently promoted to Mr. He and the family are setting up shop in Houston, where John is working for GE Energy. He loves the civil-

will you?). All I know about Bryan is that he gets a civilian clothes allowance.

playing rugby or surfing in Costa Rica. Miles Mathieu and Audrey (Allcom) are still enjoying Monterey and will soon be moving their family to MacDill, once Miles finishes NPS. Curtis “Axe” Green recently entered the NYFD Fire Academy. Curt will still fly helos with the ANG out of Long Island; so once he becomes a NYC fireman, he’ll have two part-time jobs. Ken Gjone is no longer a “special student” at the University of Ankara in Turkey, and he’ll be working toward an MA in Economics while on the Olmsted Scholarship. His wife, Meagan (McCann, ‘96), and their two boys recently took a break from their

Recently, Nikki ran into Trevor Benitone and his two kids at a local park. Trevor just moved here for the AF Intern Program (I think); and the beauty of the whole encounter is that I still get confused with my evil twin, Rick Bolander.

Nikki also bumped into Wade Gordon who is doing a fellowship in trauma surgery at Walter Reed looks like he’ll be busy...

Mike Foutch is at Bolling working for the surgeon general. We recently celebrated his birthday at their local pool, where we hooked up with Chuck Podolakandhis wife, Andrea Vineyard (‘96). Andi works with Mike, and Chuck is working on a Ph.D. in some sort of river engineering. As far as I can tell, his research involves kayaking all ofthe great whitewater spots in Oregon. I definitely picked the wrong graduate program. Chad Bondurant and his wife, Angela, were also at the party. Chad was getting ready to go on a motorcycle road trip and enjoy some vacation time before he starts the AF Intern program.

Rocky Thurston and his family were there, as well. Rocky is a high roller at Lockheed Martin, but he still builds his own furniture.

Scott Arbogast recently traded in his technician position with the Andrews Air National Guard for a frill-time AGR slot with the same unit as ifhe needed any additional grooming. Scott is also working on his MBA at Johns Hopkins.

I don’t get to see him as often as I’d like, but he is still a great friend (he’s got Nationals season tickets and aboat!). Sean Cotter lives just down the road from Scott, and he and Mimi are getting geared up for the Annual Ship of Fools house-boating trip with the likes of JakeMaloy, Mike Mills andTravis Koch. I’m not sure who else is going this year; but I hope to hear all about it, and soon. Sean also passed along another nugget of information that I am sure will have many a woman crying in her white zinfandel: Jake Maloy is engaged to be married to the lovely Heather. Congratulations Jake!

Congratulations are also in order for Matt Baade who recently got engaged to Kate, a terrific gal from Chicago that he met out here.

Should be a bang-up wedding, so put that one on your calendar. Keeping with the engagement theme, word on the street is that Sang Park, the most eligible bachelor in Korea (five years running), is also very close to nuptials. My sources tell me that his parents are currently in Korea meeting her parents. If my memory serves me correct, that amounts to common law in Seoul.

Sang’s girlfriend, Sheean Hwang, is a pop-star/model/actress and a perennial favorite for the annual Korean “Slashie” awards. Last but not least, Noel Kelly: hey man, send -

ian life and already has plans for an ocean-going vessel and a bass boat. Benji

Glazer is also in Houston working for Praxair; of course, that’s only when he’s not

summer villa on the Med to cheer on Ken as he swam the

Bosporus Straits. Did

I mention that I picked the wrong graduate program

And finally, we come to the John Hamby section of the update: a picture says a thousand words...

—

Sang Park and Sheean Hwang after her performance with FreeTempo in Tokyo.

me a text.

Jim Olsen is flying for Southwest these days. He lives in our neighborhood, but has been on hiatus due to a three-plus month gig as a member of a grand jury- look out Barry Bonds, Jimmy-0 is coming to getcha. We get to see Mike Miller (’94) and Andrea (Kirkman) every Thursday for softball on the mall.

Mike just returned from a tour in Baghdad, and Andrea just started school at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. While Mike was in Baghdad, Andrea was able to finagle a short conjugal visit, but both of them still swear that all they did was have dinner in the mess hall is that what they call it these days? Other alumni members of our softball team include: Bill Speros (’93), Chris Eden (’94), Patty Rodriguez-Rey (’94), KurtKremser (’96), Amy (Petrina) -

Kremser (’98), Blair Kaiser (’96), and Kris Ecker (’96).

Speaking of sports, there was a Kristen Abbott sighting recently in the Alexandria soccer leagues.

She was wearing number 15 and playing sweeper. Nikki can’t wait to line up

South: Bryan Green, Jonathan Hamby, Travis Koch, Christopher Hamby,

Jason Tone, and Michael Foutch. North: Rocky Thurston, Ken Butler, Chris

Tengwall, Rex Ballinger, Matt Baade, and Sean Cotter.

across from her sometime this fall...

The final DC-centric info I must mention is that the First Annual Old Dominion Duffwas a tremendous success. On July 19,2008, a date that will live in infamy, 12 of us mustered at a golf course near Fredericksburg, VA to settle an old score left over from the Civil War. It was an epic struggle North versus South, Blue versus Grey, Brother versus Brother, Greek-Italian versus Hooters... In the end, the South was victorious; but mark my words, the North will rise again...

Here’s some news from ACSC. Apparendy us older folks arrive early and are deemed the First 50. Members ofthis class include Chad Balettie, Brian Schafer, Matt Lowe and Mike Simon. So far they are having a tremendous time; we’ll -

howthings pan out once the general population arrives. Colby Hoefar and family are doing great out in Colorado. He recently started a company called The Ecolution, which specializes in green construction. Another surprising tree hugger is Brian MacDonald (Varney) who’s got all sorts of plans for solar see

,

Visit the AOG Web Site

Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and More!

www.usafa.org Jonathan Hamby

Melissa S.

Cunningham 5785 Ft. Wright Oval

sion of “charm school” for flag officers at the Polish National Defense Univer-

Melissa.cunningham@fairchild.af.mil

sity. After, graduation, he will meet all ofthe requirements for Flag officer, but it does not necessarily mean that he will be selected at that time. As Peter says, “life is full of surprises.” We’ll wait and see how it all turns out. Meanwhile, all is well with his wife, Mariola, and two beautiful daughters.

I got a short note from Jen Hammerstedt. She recently moved to Virginia and is discovering how long the commute from Woodbridge to the Pentagon really

fchdrider@msn.com

is. She started school last week and said that she felt like she was at a USAFA

Fairchild AFB, WA 99011 W: (509) 247-2525/DSN: 657-2525 H: (509) 244-9775

reunion with so many folks back in the DC area. She’ll be working in the PenWe made it! After two months of basically living like hobos, Fred and I are

settled at Fairchild AFB. It’s been a whirlwind since we arrived. We took household goods on a Monday, and next day I had a change of command. So, it’s been “on” ever since. I’ve promised Fred we’ll get around to unpacking boxes... sometime soon. As I’ve been doing a little in-processing, I ran into Jeff Crouse who is flying KC-135s at Fairchild and pulling a tour as the wing exec. I’m

looking forward to hanging out with Jeff and his family over the next year.

tagon until December and then starts her Legislative Fellowship in Jan. Between working, school, and training for the Marine Corps Marathon, she is also staying busy helping with a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. Itisasmall group that began helping with home construction/ refurbishment for families devastated by the hurricanes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The organization

has grown as people get energized about helping others get their lives and homes back. Please check out their website atwww.emccharities.com. If you are an itemizer on your tax return, this charity has done the appropriate paperwork for a charitable write-off and it’s posted on the site. Also if you are interested in volunteering, the next major project is scheduled for 20-28 Sept in Biloxi, MS. Please check out the website to get more details on how the group started and see pictures of progress they are making to help families move on with their lives.

Before I left, I had a chance to have dinner with Shawn and Micki Anger and Colleen McBratney. Shawn has already started his classes at UCCS toward a degree in Leadership and Counseling. He is lovingthis newpace oflife. I’m not sure if Micki will know what to do with him around so much. Hmmm...

I’m sure she’ll figure out how to activate the HoneyDo List. Colleen is now the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at the Academy. I stopped by to leave her a note one day in the hospital and saw the sign on the door. She totally down-played it when I asked her about it, but I was really impressed. Then I asked her if she would be willing to take the nine screws and metal plate out of my ankle next year when I’m healed up from my little batde with black ice last Feb. Well see if we can swing it.

JD Hoskins and Ross Graham, ’02, present their Increased Patient Through-

put Initiative.

That’s all I have for now. Please make a note of my new address, email, etc and keep the updates and pictures coming. Take care and God bless! Harley

I received an update and photo from JD Hoskins checking in from med school at USU in Bethesda. Things are going great! He has a really good class and they

have been very busy this last year. They just finished some physiology labs and got a chance to test their “dive reflex” in the 37-degree dive tank. They also did exercise physiology and a litter carry course in full MOPP gear. Attached is a picture of Ross Graham (2002) and JD presenting their poster on using air traffic control methods to increase patient throughput in a trauma center. They are going to test the idea this summer. They are encouraged because there has been a lot of interest generated on their study already.

JD also had a chance to visit Morris Fontenot at the HR buildings in DC. Mo’s classes are going fine and he has learned a great deal about the legislative systern. Mo and Kara are also busy teaching their two girls (Natalie and Nicole) soccer and

enjoying the area.

Our class competed very well during the 2008-9 White House Fellow pro-

gram selections. Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program is America's most prestigious program for leadership and public service. White House Fellowships offer exceptional young men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. White House Fellows typically spend a year working as full-time, paid special assistants to senior White House Staff, the Vice President, Cabinet Secretaries and other top-ranking government officials. Fellows also participate in an education program consisting ofroundtable discussions with renowned leaders from the private and public sectors, and trips to study U.S. policy in action both domestically and internationally.

On 3 Mar 08, the White House announced that 97 outstanding men and women from across the country had been selected as Regional Finalists for the White House Fellows Program They represented a broad cross-section of professions, including technology, education, health care, state government, engineering, business, consuiting, law and the non-profit sector. Of those 97 people, four were from our class: Paul Birch, James Hughes, George Schwartz, and Nicole Malachowski (Ellingwood) On 29 April 08, the White House announced the names of the 32 outstanding men and women that were selected as National Finalists for the White House Fellows Program among those 32, Nicole was chosen. I could not be more proud or inspired by how well our classmates interviewed for this prestigious program. I’m not sure if it’s unprecedented, but to have four regional finalists from one class is pretty impressive.

Piotr Blazeusz sent a note from Poland. He is finally getting a much-needed summer vacation before out-processing from his current assignment as Chief of Command Center at the Operational Command (OHQ). It was a very dynamic and demanding assignment for Peter and he had an opportunity to

Melvin E. Maxwell, Jr.

756 Granite Drive

Ofallon, IL 62269 mel_maxwell97@hotmail.com melvin.maxwell@ustranscom.mil

Hey all, By the time this is in print, college football season should be well under way.

I’m excited for another Falcon football season—hopefully well continue the roll started by last year’s squad. If you come to my house on Saturdays, you

might see me wearing a “game worn” jersey of our classmate Beau Morgan, which I picked up online a month ago. Go Falcons! By the way, either Beau was really small back then or I have to lose some weight.

I received an email from Chris Senseney. Chris went to Bagram, Afghanistan on a 365-day TDY from April 06 to April 07 where he served on a Provincial Reconstruction Team building roads, schools, clinics, wells and other infrastructure projects for the Afghan people. Chris ran into Chris Wiley, Dave Rayman, and Ryan Haden in Bagram who were there flying A- 10s (Chris and Dave out of Spangdahlem and Ryan out of Pope). Upon returning from Afghanistan, Chris’ wife held a Baptism/Welcome Home party for their son Thomas, and Chris. Rob Barnett was apparently quite a character as Thomas’ Godfather. Chris is back at Wright-Patterson where he’s linked up with Dave

.

-

learn many good lessons. He was a Colonel in a one-star position dealing with Flag officers at every turn. Soon, he has a two-month TDY to the 1st Mech Division and they he starts the Senior Defense Policy Course, the Polish ver

122

Chris and some local ch ildren in the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan.

Carlson at HQ / AFMC and Pat Suermann who’s been to Wright-Pat TDY from the University of Florida. Chris is following Pat’s footsteps this summer; going to get a PhD in Civil Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines after which he’ll return to the Academy to teach in the CE Department.

Apart from the news Chris sent me, I was struggling with finding news to report on the class. Lucky for me, Kate Bailey relayed how she recentiy ereated a Facebook account and found a number of classmates.

I took her advice and voila, a number of faces I hadn’t seen in quite a while suddenly appeared.

Noah Oviedo is out and living back in his hometown of San Antonio, TX where he is a General Manager for a lumber wholesaler/retailer. Noah and his wife grew up in the same neighborhood and love being back home with their family.

Noah and his wife have a two-year-old son.

Megan Kuzmich recently moved back to California to be closer to her family. She recendy graduated from Yale in May and now is working at a cancer center in the San Francisco area. Megan passed on that Jessi Clune (Lederman) just had her 3rd boy last month and she and her family are back in Colorado Springs after an assignment in Germany.

Phil Warlick passed on some news while he was sitting in the Denver Airport on his way home from a conference he attended as a Reservist. Phil is an Individual Mobilization Augmentee for a PACOM Reserve detachment in Fort Worth, TX. Phil and his family have been in Ft. Worth for three years where he works as a military consultant for a small software company while going to seminary. He has two years left in school. Phil and his wife of 10 and half years, Julie, have three kids (two boys, 10 and 8 years old, and a five-year-old girl) who keep them busy. Phil passed on news of a few other classmates: Mike Williams is at Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB; Casey Lozier is flying E-4s out of Offutt; Phil had dinner with Greg Ellingson and his wife a few months ago...

Greg is a Realtor in Melbourne, FL. Thad Middleton answered the call for news. Thad is in the DC area at the Air Staff in AF/A9 along with Matt Durkin. Thad lives out in Fairfax, VA with his wife of over 10 years, Katie. Thad and Katie are expecting their first child this Christmas—congratulations to them. Thad also passed notes on a couple other DC-area classmates: Tim Welter lives inside the beltway; Sean Keaveny and Kari Agnew are in the area as well although Kari just deployed to Iraq for ayear; Randy Ackerman and wife, Michelle, moved to the DC area last fall; Jay Hutzell, his wife, Jessica, and their 11 -month-old boy Samuel live in the boondocks of Maryland.

Other tidbits: James Finlayson is in Miami at USSOUTHCOM, Jeremy Iioyd and his wife Erin had a baby this past summer. That’s all I have for this go round, hope all is well. Until next time... Mel

June Cruse was aT-37 pilot in Columbus but was killing time waiting to PCS once all the “tweets” left.

Greg Martin got out of active duty back in2006 to get his PhD in Accounting at CU-Boulder. He’s finishing his 2nd year up there now and hopes to finish his dissertation within a year or two. Then, in his words, “it’s off to

being an absent-minded

professor and doing my best to stay young and relevant.

”

He

and his wife have three children now, Grace (5), Hannah (3), and Grant (2). They moved back to the Springs while he finishes his dissertation and he hopes to get hired by a school in the Springs-Denver corridor once he finishes his degree.

Meanwhile, he is still in the Reserves and might start being an ALO this fall.

Greg Martin and his family.

Brian Chung is a B-1 pilot and was recently married, Justin Joffrion and his

wife are expecting their first child in November, and lara Cappelli (Vice) got

successfully to Korea to join her husband Troy (’99) but got there with only 1 / 3 of her luggage!

Now a quick plug for Facebook: Jaime Andersen (Melton) has created a USAFA 98 group and it has been a lot of fun to read about so many of our

classmates. You should all create an account, log on and check it out!

As you can see this quarter was pretty thin on information. Hope to see you

all at the reunion and those of you that know you are going to miss it can always

send an update in advance.

James W. Busch

16015 N 158th Ct.

Surprise, AZ 85374 (505) 693-2266/DSN: 896-5588 buschfl6@yahoo.com james.busch@luke.af.mil

Karin McWhorter

8243 Oasis Bloom St. North Las Vegas, NV 89085

(702) 476-4304 mcwhorters@hotmail.com

Shiners great to be onboard again sending you news from the greatest class in school history. A big thanks to Sean Baerman, despite a couple of cheap shots, for filling in last month during what was a busy time for me. Always nice to hear about something other than the life and times of James Busch, interesting though it may be.

Couple of weddings to report this time around, and its good to see you all continuing to tie the knots even in middle-age. From what I can tell, the gene pool could use the potential boost. Chris Caredeo married his long-time flame Emily in DC back in May. Chris is about to leave the Army for the second time, this time separating from the Reserves, and will start school with DLA by the time this article is published. Chris will move in near Ed Sligar in Rockville, MD. We’ll see who TPs who’s house first.

Matt Renbarger, fresh from F-16WIC, married his girlfriend Tracy here in Scottsdale back in June. What better way to luck off a young marriage than have the AF send you remote to Kunsan for a year? Tracy, for now, has joined Matt -

Hi Everyone,

By the time this issue gets to you our reunion will be just days away. I don’t have a lot for this update but I am sure I will have lots of news for the next one!

Here are the updates for this issue: Mari (Schroering) Garcia had a baby on 31 Mar 08. This is her second baby but her third daughter (she has her oldest by adoption). Madeline Mireya Garcia joins sisters Auri, 8, and Emma, 2. Her husband, who is a Green Beret in the Army, got 10 days of baby leave to come home for the birth and made it by the skin of his teeth because Madeline arrived just 22 hours before he had to go back! Mari is still at Hurlburt as the Deputy IG and in a classic case of poor timing, she came off maternity leave the day before the start of their UCI!

Mari and her youngest daughter, Madeline.

Danny Campos is a Reservist living down in San Antonio doing real estate full time and some project management work on the side.

From left are Matt's new bride,

Tracy, her dad, Matt Renbarger, Sean

Baerman, Will Reynolds, and me.

123

in the land of rotting cabbage as they embark on their Air Force adventure

Mike Belardo and Brian McKay. Matt Medley has been in upgrade training for

together. Attending the wedding, and bribed in no small part by the four-hour open bar were Sean Baerman, Will Reynolds, and myself. From what little I remember, it was a really nice ceremony. Best of luck to Matt and Tracy!

I received an e-mail from Christel Morgan (Gilbert), who married Scott Morgan back in2004 after they had met in Korea. She exchanged a lucrative career as an AF intel officer for the lowly Yorkshire Riding School in England, where she trained with Olympians in the sport of Eventing. Now, that could have all kinds ofmeanings to different people, but what I did conclude is that she actually works with horses, and must be quite good at it. Christel passed her British Horse Society Exams last summer and nowruns her own business training horses in Tucson, where Scott flies A-1 Os. Check out their website: www.toplineteam.com. Christel also mentioned she ran into Dave Shellar, our very own 2nd BCT pugQ stick champ, in the gym at DM. Fittingly he is an A-10 pilot. Also, Sarah Portele (Pierson) separated from the AF and now works as a Reservist/ contractor in Wing Plans at Hurlburt Field. Thanks

becoming an instructor in the HC-130.

As I said, I’ve been TDY, it’s training, Undergrad Network Warfare Training, that will be titled Undergrad CyberSpace Warfare Training in a year or so.

When I get back to Barksdale I’ll be filling the role as the deputy for the Cyber Control Division as the AFNOC merges into our local AOC, creating a new Global Effect AOC. I hope all are doing well and enjoying their summer. Send some pictures

and shoot me an email with your current happenings. Best wishes, Jason.

Faith

(Hitchcock) Dunn

6423 NW 94th Court

wwrf# if ,.C

,ifj

Johnson, IA 50131 faithd03@hotmail.com

\FEsggacW §jj w3|jy|f

Christel for the e-mail and all the news!

Here’s the rundown on a few other folks I’ve seen or heard from lately: Bob Farina called from New York. He’s married and works for an investment banking firm on Wall Street. He said he hopes to see everyone at the reunion next summer. He’ll be the one wearing a gold baseball cap and chanting “the gold will shine. John Fenwick is entering his second year ”

ofbusiness school at Stanford. He spent the summer interning at Microsoft and hopefully using his MIT comp sci degree to help them fixVista. Here at Luke I just waved goodbye to Keith Carson, who ran off to Vance to fly the T-38. Tim Pesek left about the same time to go to Test Pilot School at Edwards. There he will join Brian Deas, also a test pilot, and Seth Deam, who is a JAG if you need any legal advice. Eric Puels married Renee Fukumoto. Eric flies F-16s here at Luke and Renee does the real work at home raising their two daughters.

Expect news next article about the class reunion next summer. The AOG has been going through a little shakeup lately and has been slow getting back to me.

In the meantime, if you are at the academy teaching or whatever and are willing to help out coordinating this momentous event, please call me or send me an e-mail. Until next time! James

64% Jason “JW” Simmons

Hi there ’Olers, I have not received very many updates lately, but I will share the few I have

gotten and share updates on those that Mike and I keep up with.

Jeff Feuring and his wife, Eun Young, are still in Los Angeles and are expect-

ing their first child, a boy, in mid-August. He just finished SOS in July and may deploy for six months next year but is unsure where. Jason Feuring just finished up Weapons School in Las Vegas in June and is now in Germany with his wife, Nicky. Jesse Goolsby and his wife just left Tennessee after receiving his master’s degree. They are now in Colorado Springs where he will be teaching at USAFA. Their little girl, Ella, is almost one. Givey Kochanowski is still in Alaska working for the US Forestry Service. He recently took a jaunt down the Pacific Coast; he was interviewing for a job in Wisconsin and on his way home almost had a run-in with Matt and Amy Roloff! He and his wife stopped by the Roloff Farms and even though they were closed, it didn’t stop them from hanging out at the gate to try to sneak a peek inside. Brent Bak is stationed at Eglin AFB flying F-15s. He and Givey got to catch up for a couple weeks while he was at Elmendorf for an exercise.

Members/

Simmons@USAFA2000.com

Classmates, Please send in your updates and if you haven’t subscribed to our email list yet, please do: USAFA2000-subscribe@lyahoogroups.com. I’ve been TDY for the last couple of months, and so I didn’t get a message out far in advance this time, but you’re welcome to send me updates at any time. Your class would like to hear what you are doing these days, about moves, new jobs, kiddies, and other events.

Chris England and his wife, Leah, welcomed son Thomas Beckett in July. Chris and his family live in the North Carolina mountains. Chris separated in 2005 and works in real estate development; meanwhile Leah is in publishing and owns a magazine in Charleston, SC. Here is a cute picture of them giving Thomas a stroll.

Givey at RoloffFarms

-

where’s the mule?

Dustin and Aubrie (Rooney) Ireland are in Valdosta, GA. He is getting ready

deploy in September, return in December and then turn around in January and go to Weapons School in Vegas until June. Aubrie is considering packing up shop and moving back to Maine with their son, Ethan, while he is gone on his many trips this year. Aubrie was accepted into a Nursing program and deferred her start date for a year to spend time with Ethan. Angie Fedden is still to

in Colorado; however, she has moved from Schriever AFB to USAFA to teach.

I am sure she is keeping busy with the three girls at home! Mike and Kristi

(Delcour) Contardo just welcomed their second little girl, Taylor Jo, in July.

Mike and Kristi Contardo with daughters Maddie and Taylor Jo. Mike Deaver and wife, Ashley, are expecting their third child early next year.

Mike is looking forward to beginning the B-2 Instructor Pilot course in August with fellow ’OOer Justin Grieve. Coincidently, the course is being taught by 124

Mike and I are staying busy. Grant is 18 months old now and a ball of energy.

We call him Tornado Grant

-

he just flies through the house getting into trouble.

We sold our house in California (finally!) and feel like we can finally settle

down and enjoy Iowa and our civilian lives. We have had a busy summer with Grant. We have gone to the zoo and amusement parks for the first time and we also are doing lots of swimming at Mike’s parents’ house. Grant is a fish and is already jumping off the diving board (with floaties of course!). Well, that is all I have for now. Please keep in touch and keep me updated and don’t forget to send pictures too. Faith

Group at Hill AFB. Their family so far consists of two dogs, Bruce (Weimeraner) and Keira (Rottweiler).

Amy Kauvar 806 Magnolia Bend San Antonio, TX 78251

215-280-1760

amykauvar@gmail.com Class Website: www.usafa02.org

Greetings to all! It is great to be writing again. Thank you to all those who sent in a little something for us to all peruse. I hope you have all been having a safe and relaxing summer. Hopefully, the heat hasn’t been too much and Dolly missed you.

Well, I got married on 7 June. It was a fabulous San Antonio summer day (i.e. HOT!). Dave and I were able to sneak in a little honeymoon to Cabo for the 4th of July weekend. We are holding offfor our real honeymoon for when lean take leave after residency is done and when Dave gets home from Iraq.

Maybe we will just go on a honeymoon every year! I have one more year left to complete my master’s degree and periodontics certificate. This year can’t go by fast enough. I dread writing my thesis (I am sure some of you know my pain)! We are hoping to get back to the East Coast next summer. Dave is starting a vascular surgery fellowship in Philadelphia, and hopefully the Army and Air Force can work out a deal and keep us together for most of our careers. We both owe uncountable years! Who knows, maybe I will be a general one day?

Erik Fisher and his wife, Lauren, send a warm hello. Erik is a C-17 Instructor

Pilot and Ops Group Exec at McChord AFB and Lauren is a 2006 University of Washington School of Law graduate and is currently a JAG at McChord, as well. They have a three-year-old boy named Andrew and another little one who was just born in May. Congratulations to their new addition! Erik also sent a photo from deployment. From left are Warren Halle, Dave Morales, and Erik. These flying studs are all with the 10th Airlift Squadron at McChord. The day this photo was taken they were on their way to do a combat airdrop mission in Afghanistan. Go boys!

Thanks for all of the noise these past couple of months. Keep it coming!

Enjoy the rest of the summer and God Speed on your travels... and remember to vote. November is coming soon! All my best-Amy Kauvar.

Susan Brent and Maggie (Breun) Feldt and their son Griffin have recently PCS'd

from USUHS in Maryland to Lackland AFB, Texas where Brent will begin his ENT residency at Wilford Hall. Maggie has separated from the AF and loves staying at home with their little guy, who will be 2 in March.

Brandy (Ransom) Lybeck graduated from medical school this year and will be doing an internal medicine internship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Her husband, Dustin (’01), is starting his orthopaedic surgery residency at Wilford Hall this summer. They have a beautiful little girl, Olivia, and are quickly getting settled with their busy schedules.

Some other doctors in San Antonio include Chris and Leslie (USNA’02) Vojta.

Chris is a flight surgeon at Brooks City Base and Leslie is in her Emergency Medicine Residency while they both chase around their little guy, Matthew.

Rob McGill is almost halfway through his orthopaedic residency.

Luke Porsi recently PCSed to Hurlburt Field, where he is a flight surgeon supporting the special ops units.

Charlie and Margaret (Leupold) Eichner are at Hickam AFB in Hawaii where Charlie is flying C- 17s. Margaret stays busy hosting their many guests and taking care of their sweet boy, Andy, while they await boy #2 in a few months!

Eddie Gutierrez and Catie Gillespie were married on 1 May 2005 in Fresno, CA and they just celebrated their three-year anniversary. Surprisingly, they didn’t know each other all at while at the Academy and meet a year after graduation and have been together ever since. Katie is currently at Luke AFB waiting for F-16 training. She just finished a tour as aT-6 IP and Eddie is a Contracting Officer for the Air Force (DoD civilian) working at the 784th Combat Support

Visit the AOG Web Site

Merchandise, Gone But Not Forgotten and More!

www.usafa.org

T&k

i \

\ i

u kV

'

Lynn Doyle

(937) 760-1076 Susan.doyle@wpafb.af.mil Susan_doyle@post.harvard.edu

Katie Eckert flies C- 17s out of Charleston and reports on her squadron from

Southwest Asia. Most of her squadron-mates are new ACs working on their second deployments and having fun learning on the go. The 816th EAS includes Peter Euler (newly married), Zach Schaffer, Scott Johnson (2nd baby on the way), RyanZackrisson, Ryan Goodlin, Adrian Delafuentes, Steve Brown, and Chris Kojakwith guest appearances by Ryan Olish and Dusty Fahie. Things are going well for Dusty who will begin the upgrade process to become an Aircraft Commander shortly after returning home in September. He looks forward to deploying to Turkey next Spring.

Luke Fisher is guarding the home front while the 14th AS is gone. They’ll be replaced in September by the 15th AS out of Charleston which includes: Kari (James) Fleming, Jess Regni, Bryan Wetzel, Chris Kennedy, and Kyle Clinton. While deployed, Katie has run into Will Dunn, Matt Platt, and Will Rodriguez who fly the C-130. Will reports that Neil Hoy, Chad Panier, and Nate Preuss are also out there flying C- 130s. Additionally, Ms. Kristen Donley is now Mrs. Kristen Dunn and voluntarily Force Shaped in April 2006.

Matt “Ali” Olson is at Balad AB, Iraq, flying Vipers with Ryan "Yeti" Miller in the 34FS, the "Rams," out of Hill AFB, UT. Matt reports that Yeti finds time out ofhis busy schedule to head up local "Dungeons and Dragons" gatherings as Dungeon Master. He also sends a shout out to Nate Jackson who flies KC- 135s and dishes out gas for his squadron. Aaron “Jedi” Sick flew Vipers at Osan for a year before getting to Shaw last September. He’s been in Balad for two months flying Vipers out of the North Side with the 77 EFS Gamblers. Domonique 125

Torbert is stationed at Holloman AFB as the Section Commander for 49th Maintenance Squadron. She is also currently serving in Balad AB, Iraq as the

providing shelter, guidance, and basic medical care. They also assisted some local clinics with TB and AIDS treatment in various villages and compounds.

332d Maintenance Group Exec Officer where she frequently runs into Todd

Dan reports, “All in all it was an amazing trip; first time to Africa for both of us.

Zielinski, Sierra Smith and Mark Smith.

Beautiful part of the world and wonderful people!

’’

Liz is rounding out her first

(intern) year as a medical resident at WPAFB, OH. She finished her medical boards and has two years left in her residency! Dan is wrapping up three years at Eglin doing weapons research and testing and is excited to head to Edwards

in June to become a flight test engineer.

Finally, Steve Suppe was offered a Fulbright scholarship and left in summer/ early fall to work with IBM Research in Haifa, Israel! Thanks to everyone who submitted updates. Please contact me at anytime (susan.doyle@wpafb.af.mil or susan_doyle@post.harvard.edu). Keep working hard and having fun. Take care, Susan.

Breezy (Long) Heddinger Cell: (719) 213-3205 breezy.heddinger@usafa-grads.com windy04@gimail.af.mil

Domonique Torbert in a C-130 at Balad AB, Iraq.

Amy Weaton recendy separated from the Air Force and she and her husband, Chris, are adopting two children from Ethiopia. They hope to travel to Africa this summer or fall to pick up their children. Stuart Fraser and his wife, Stephanie, and TJ Martin and his wile, Amanda, were at the National's game in DC and ran into Nate Church and his wife. All three ’03 grads are stationed at Andrews AFB. N ate works in Protocol and is about to deploy to Iraq for six months, TJ flies the UH-1, and Stuart flies C-21 s and will PCS to McChord AFB to

fly C- 17s at the end of this year.

First and foremost: To those who still wear the uniform, congratulations on

the promotion to Captain! No more shall we answer to the affectionate call of “L-T.” Humbling, isn’t it, when you hear “Captain” and see the expectant look on your crew or coworkers’ faces? Are

they talking to me? Suddenly, you’re

brushing cobwebs off the old leadership lessons, mistakes, and experiences of the past 8+ years.. .we’re Captains! Our old commandant, then-Brig Gen Welsh, once commented that academy graduates make great Captains because we sometimes take a while to grow out of cadet days through our lieutenant years. Well, Sir, we have arrived!

For all of us, in uniform and out, we have reached our four

From left are TJ Martin, Nate Church and Stuart Fraser.

Ashley (Robinson) Gasmire and her husband Tim, a ’98 ROTC grad and a Major full time in the Air Force Reserve, welcomed a new baby girl, Addison Mackenzie, into the world on May 9th. They couldn't be happier!

year mark—we have now been beyond the gates of USAFA for as long as we were behind them (minus prep school, of course). For most of our class, we have either made the decision to separate or will reach that decision point in about a year. Those who became aircrew members may not be approaching the end of commitment, but are likely wading through various types of upgrade training and trying to imagine how the next steps of the career should look. Not all of us are drawn to the same choices at the same time, but we are all still bound together by our common history. Asour 1BCT cadet commander told us all in Arnold Hall one miserable but wonderful summer eight years ago, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul” (from Henley’s poem “Invictus”).

Let us hope that no matter what choices we face, in the AF and beyond, we remain captains of our destiny—and we don’t lose sight of the people who have helped us along the way.

Alright, I am done being sappy—by now, you know that on occasions like this, I can’t help but be at least a little sentimental... and a lot cheesy. But enough of that. We have two pieces of happy news to share.

On March 7, 2007, Virginia (Casillas) Frazier and her husband, Andrew, welcomed a son into the world—their first child—Ethan Drew Frazier (see photo). Back in 2006, Virginia (aka Jenna) deployed to Baghdad, Iraq for six months as a project officer for the Communications Support Office, and she separated from the USAF in September 2007. Her hubby is an acquisitions officer, and they are currently stationed at Eglin AFB. Congrats on the bundle of joy, and thanks for sharing with us!

Tim, Addison, and Ashley (Robinson) Gasmire.

Liz Rini and Dan Montes recently got back from a mission trip to Garneton,

Zambia. They spent a couple weeks there improving life for street orphans,

Liz Rini, Brian Bartee (’95), and Dan Montes in the front, and Dave

Winebrener (’96) on the back right.

126

Baby Ethan with mom and dad Frazier.

Last, but certainly not least, your Class VP Jeff Gould recently tied the knot with Jessica King (’03). Jeff says they “have a romantic story... well, sort of.” He and Jessica met the first day Jeff arrived at Grand Forks, and Jessica said she knew his Flight Records well before she knew him! Jessica was working in the Stan/Eval office and in-processed Jeff into the squadron. They are still stationed together atGrandForks. Jeff, I couldn’t be happier for ya. Bestwishestoyouboth!

Well, Ready for Anything-ers, that’s all we have this quarter. Please don’t hesitate to share your news (contact info above). We see each other quite often in the desert these days, but it’s still nice to see how people are doing. Also, for those who aren’t sure how to keep in touch with fellow grads once they’re off the “global,” check out the AOG website and set up email forwarding from a grad address (.. .@usafa-grad.com) to your personal address. That way you can look up and contact an old pal... even if you lost that pesky scrap of paper you wrote their address on, or if you upgraded to a hi-tech new phone and forgot to transfer all your old phone numbers... anyway, just another option.

Take care of each other out there, congrats on the four-year milestone, and “have a great summer.”

Paula

Delapasse 103 Raymond Circle Warner Robins, GA 31088 (225) 603-4450 paulamaffey@juno.com Paula.Delapasse@robins.af.mil

As I write these words to you, the movers are packing up books, rocking

chair, and turtle-tank... you know the scene well. By the time you read this you will be able to visit us in Tucson, AZ (Davis-Monthan AFB), although it will take Peter a little longer to get there since he’ll be going through Combat Rescue Officer Training first while stationed at Kirkland (Albuquerque, NM).

Here is a picture of Jonathan Ferro’s baby, Riley Elizabeth, whose birth we

reported last time.

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Happy Fall 2008 to all of you! We are into football season, getting ready for the holidays, and seeing the end of the year creep a little closer! Where does the time go! We have some great inputs from people- keep them coming! This is my first class update from Dayton, Ohio. This summer Jacob and I PCSed to Wright Patterson and have enjoyed getting to know the area. With our move we delinitely realized what a small AF this is; we have seen a lot of the same people from our old assignment to our new one!

This summer I also got the chance to visit Julie Honeycutt and Emily Haag in Germany as I made a whirlwind Europe trip. It was awesome to have an insider’s scoop of the area; we all had a great time! Thanks Julie and Emily for the hospitality and I can’t wait for the next time we get to share a jagerschnitzel and a beer again!

John Tamasitis is currently deployed at Bagram AB. He hasn’t let me know how it is going, but we are wishing him well. Before he left Teresa Moreno sent in an update on what she has been doing. Teresa has awesome news about what’s up ahead for her in the AF. She has been accepted to the Northern Illinois University College of Law to the Class of 2011. She has also been accepted to the USAF JAG Excess Leave Pro gram allowing her to be on leave status while she is in school. She will also have paid internships with the AF during the summer and will eventually j oin the JAG Corps upon graduation and completion ofthe Illinois BAR exam. This is just awesome news and incredible that that opportunity is out there! Good luck in school we will see you back on active duty in a few years!

I got a call in mid-June from Matthew McBride before he separated from the Air Force. Matt had been stationed at Langley AFB before he accepted a forceshaping slot to separate early. Matt has a lot planned in the next year as he just recently proposed to his fiancee Alicia. She is living in New York City and Matt popped the question on a romantic walk through Central Park. They are excitedly planning a wedding for Summer 2009 in Atlanta, GA near Peach Tree City where he calls home. The remaining part of this summer Matt was going to be working at a school in Switzerland. Have fun across the pond Matt!

Lastly you may have heard a lot about Joel Kurzdorfer lately but believe me it is well worth it. He has been all over the place as a member of the Armed

Nate VanLoon is in Baghdad. He will be there for a year working for the HQ MNC-I staff untilAug2009.

Mike Orcutt writes: “Due to squadron closure, my DEROS was curtailed by a year, so my 2nd

assignment will be to the Pentagon in the Air Force Operations Group. I will be in the weather branch of the Current Operations Division. Megan and I are totally stoked. She and I will be together on a permanent basis for the first time in our relationship together while she will be able to continue pursuing her PhD in Journalism through the University of Maryland. Our wedding is on the 31st of May back home in Grand J unction, CO so we are even more excited about that.

”

-

In a recent newsletter Ryan Baker, USA, sent a few pictures

from firebase Herrera close to the Pakistan border in Afghanistan... here he is with a new friend.

Forces Baseball Team for 2008. He has traveled around Central and South

America hosting camps and clinics as an ambassador for the USAF while play-

ing the game ofbaseball. Joel said he had a great experience playing with the team and has enjoyed traveling the world. He is stationed at Maxwell AFB in the 42nd Contracting Squadron when working his day job. Joel also had the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Montgomery Biscuits game which some of you may remember from ASBC.

I am sure we will see more of you

around Joel! Keep having fun!

That’s all from me this time around... sorry I have don’t have more! I hope everyone is doing great take care and send me your news! Paula —

Felisa

Danny Graham, Adam Pahls and Tony D’Amato have been dominating an Army training class before their deployments. They might send us a picture next time if we’re lucky.

(Hervey) Dyrud

5434 S Monrovia Ave.

Tucson, AZ 85706

Checkoutwww.usafa.org: Updated News Stories

felisa.dyrud@gmail.com

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•Photo Galleries

Hello 2006, Many of you many have heard that we lost a classmate and friend in May. John Alley was a friend to many, a loving brother and son, and husband of a wife who is expecting their first child. We honor his life, but our hearts are heavy for the loss of his friends and family. Please see a tribute to John in the “Gone but Not Forgotten” section and find out how to be a support to his bride Emily and their son at http: / /www.helpfindjohn.info.

•New Online Store

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Stay Connected!

127

And here is a picture from April (Linzey) Brown’s marriage to Eric Brown (’07), with friends Barbara Leo and Tina Matejik.

Casey Bayne 6925 Clovercliff Drive

77% Members

Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

(310) 343-5969 checkpoints@caseybayne.com

TheAllred-HendershiedWeddingParty Engagement Updates: Jenna Maxfield and Erik Mirandette (originaliy c/o 2005, now c/ o 2008) were engaged in February 2008. Eric lured her away to Chicago by requesting she come visit him and his family to celebrate his birthday the weekend after Valentine's Day. Their wedding is set for May 23,2009 in Richmond, VA. Other Updates: Danny Nwaelele is playing guard for the San Antonio Spurs summer league team. He hopes to obtain a free agent contract and compete for a roster spot.

Britt Perkowski and Mindy Mokos did make the Armed Services Women’s Soccer team and traveled to The Netherlands for an international tournament.

Britt and Mindy had a blast and said it was the experience of a lifetime.

Class of2007,

Hope you are all having a wonderful summer and taking some leave after a busyyear! Here are some updates from our class.

Wedding Updates: Keith Sanders and Megan Lally were married in a beautiful, outdoor ceremony in Orange County on July 11,2008. Katie Barlow, Shaun Lee, Casey Bayne, and Blake Pickell were in attendance from our class.

Keith Sanders and Megan Lally Nate Allred and Kandi Henderschied were married on March 22,2008. Troy

Egbert and Jenny Gibson are pictured here with the happy couple.

(Gone But Not Forgotten: Continued from page 91.)

John H. Alley, ’06 John also leaves behind his parents; sisters Julie Jeanne Allen (Steve) and Anna Alley; brother Lewis “Luke” Michael Alley (Mary); grandmothers Nadra Jeanne Alley (Harold) and Mildred Amelia Poljanec; grandfather John Joseph Poljanec (Malvene); and a large extended family. He was preceded in death by his grandfather Harold

Pugmire Alley and step-grandmother Malvene Poljanec.

A memorial service was held at NAS Whiting Field in Milton, FL on May 31, 2008, where he was posthumously commissioned a First Lieutenant and received his pilot wings. A funeral followed in Bountiful, Utah on June 6 where he was buried in the Bountiful City Cemetery, with full military honors.

Contributions for his unborn child can be sent to the Air Warrior

Courage Foundation, PO Box 1553 Front Royal, Va. 22630 marked “Alley Family Trust Fund.” (Emily W. Alley, John 's wife) 128

After finishing up a year-long assignment as Academy Recruiters, Tara Dunn, Lindsay Freeman, Jocelyn Mitnaul, Michelle Dieringer, Willy Lloyd, Casey Probst, John Ahn, Greg Roberts, and Andrew Vasquez have taken numerous trips around the country, spoken to thousands of students, and hopefully recruited a few prospective cadets! Tara Dunn and Michelle Dieringer are off to Vandenberg AFB, CA; Lindsay Freeman is headed to Mildenhall AFB, England; Jocelyn Mitnaul will report to Goodfellow AFB, TX; Willie Lloyd reports to Laughlin AFB, TX for pilot training; John Ahn left for Hanscom AFB, MA; and Andrew Vasquez is headed to MacDill AFB, FL. Also accepting new assignments are Academy/Prep school coaches Jake Burtschi, Adam Zanotti, Gilberto Perez, Letricia Castillo, Robert Kraay, and Justin Handley. Jake and Adam left for Vandenberg AFB, CA; Gilberto reports to MacDill AFB, FL; Trish is headed to lovely Holloman AFB, NM; and Rob and Justin will be stationed at Shaw AFB, SC. Good luck in your new assignments and welcome to the real Air Force... finally! Please continue to send me your stories and updates.

Also, all you soon to be pilots out there, please email me when you graduate pilot training and find out what aircraft you will be flying!

Class

Scribe

Volunteer

Sought.

Please contact the Class

Editor, Tom

Kroboth,

News

at

Tom.Kroboth@aogusafa.org.

(Editor's note: Hello Class of2008. Ifyou want to be represented in the Class News Section, please volunteer to be your class’scribe. Also, ifany of the class officers have a scribe in mind, they may also contact me at the above email address. Tom Kroboth, Class News Editor)

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Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20

at Wyoming*

Oct. 4

Navy

Oct. 11

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at UNLV*

Oct. 23

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at Army

Nov. 8

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BYU*

Nov. 22

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