During my 20-year career in the Air Force, we were stationed in many different places, mostly in the states and we were fortunate not to have to move too often. Below you will see a list of some of my duty stations and a little about the areas where we lived. Some of these were good assignments, some not so good, but for the most part we tried to find something to like about everywhere we were. I do know I've had my fill of shoveling snow in the winter, so we're happy to put up with the heat and humidity of LA (Lower Alabama) now.

Jul 72 - Sep 72: Basic training, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas. (Do you know how hot it gets in Texas in the summer?)
Sep 72 - Nov 72: Tech. School, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi. (I phased out of school, too much play, not enough studying. Oh well you're only young once.)

Nov 72 - Oct 76: 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Ft. Walton Beach, Fl. (Vehicle Operator/Dispatcher 60350, Truck Driver extroidenaire, Oh to be 18 yrs old and single stationed on the in Florida, days at the beach or fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, nights of partying. Then in 1974 I met my wife, fell in love and got married. Jeff was born here. Twenty-five years later I have no regrets.)

Oct 76 - Oct 78: Air Force Eastern Test Range, Patrick AFB, Coca Beach, Fl. (And they said the military would station you in some terrible places, if I'd only known. By this time I've cross-trained to Command and Control, 27450. Julie was born here. We loved it, 20 miles from the beach, and an hour to Disney World or Daytona Beach, we bought a house. It turned out to be my shortest accompanied tour in the Air Force. I wish we'd kept the house.)

Nov 78 - Dec 79: Combat Alert Center (CAC), King Salmon AFS, Alaska, remote - the family stayed in Florida. (Talk about a climate change, I didn't know it could get so cold. I loved Alaska, lots of beautiful country and great fishing, but I missed my wife and kids a whole bunch, a year can really drag by when you're apart. Controlled F-4Es on scrambles against Soviet Bear/Badger bombers, The Cold War up close and personal.)

  Jan 80 - Oct 85: 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. (More Air Defense with one of the finest Fighter Squadrons in the world, controlled F-106s "Delta Darts". We loved the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 200" plus of snow each year, camping, fishing, snowmobiling,    four wheeling, cross-country skiing, photography, hiking, and just being outdoors.)

Oct 85 - Oct 88: 49th Fighter Interceptor Sq. and 410th Bomb Wing, Griffiss AFB, Rome, New York. (Closed down another fighter Squadron and turned into a "SAC trained killer" actually our motto was "Peace is our Profession". Loved the job, hated Rome, loved Up-State New York, close to the Adirondacks. We wanted to go overseas having already lost an assignment to Germany.)

Oct 88- June 92: 313th Tactical Airlift Group, RAF Mildenhall, United
Kingdom. (We loved living in England, Kathy worked on the British economy, ran a spray painting booth in a furniture factory. Got involved with a W.W.II museum at one of the 9th AF fields at Earls Colne. We traveled throughout England, Belgium, France and the Netherlands and I even made it to Germany. We made lots of good friends and would have gladly stayed longer but it was time to retire. The Air Force offered a last assignment back to New York but we were tired of the snow so we headed "home to Alabama". )

This has been a real brief tour of our military life and as anyone who's been there knows, there are lots of TDYs (temporary duties) to other exotic locals mixed into these assignments. Places like Goose Bay, Labrador, Clinton Sherman, Ok. and some nicer places as a TAC Inspector General Team member. I enjoyed my 20 years in the Air Force and what other career allows you to retire at age 38? I saw the end of Vietnam, Desert Storm and thankfully the end of the Cold War. I retired at the rank of Master Sergeant, E-7.