USAFA Class Histories

George Barnes enlisted in the Air Force following his 1956 graduation from high school.  Following radar technician school at Keesler AFB, he was encouraged (by a 1948 West Point graduate) to apply for West Point Preparatory School (there was no Air Force prep as yet), with the goal of receiving an appointment to the Air Force Academy.

After his graduation and commissioning with the Class of 1963 at the United States Air Force Academy, he attended pilot training at Vance AFB, Oklahoma.  His initial operational flying assignment was in the C-130E model at Sewart AFB, Tennessee.  The following five years included flying duty assignments at CCKAB, Taiwan and Langley AFB, Virginia.  Both locations were staging areas from which he flew global missions in response to Air Force needs and requirements at the time, including Southeast Asia and numerous domestic and foreign contingency operations.

Captain Barnes entered engineering graduate school at Stanford University in June 1969, in preparation for faculty duty in the Engineering Mechanics Department at USAFA.  After his 1971-1974 tour as a mechanics instructor, he returned to cockpit duty in the AC-130H Spectre gunship at Korat AB, Thailand.  His next assignment was at Yokota AB, Japan, returning to the C-130E.  His last three years on active duty were at Clark AB, Philippines where he performed staff duties in the airlift wing until his retirement on February 1st, 1981.

Following his Air Force retirement and job search, Mr. Barnes worked as a Facility Planner in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia until November 1984, when he began work as an engineer with the Boeing Company in Wichita, Kansas.  After his transfer with Boeing to Seattle in January 1987, he worked on several military and commercial programs until his retirement in December 2007.

Mr. Barnes's interest in various financial and investment strategies has changed and evolved into his current focus on option-trading, an activity that provides a mental challenge and occasional psychological reward following his Air Force and Boeing careers.  His weekly regimen includes three rigorous cardio and strength workouts, two Bible studies and volunteer work by tutoring or other activity in his church or related venue.