Bryant's interest in
aviation began at an early age. The son
of an Air Force officer stationed at Barksdale AFB, he boarded his first
aircraft at 5 years of age -the bomb bay of a B-29- but was found out on the
takeoff roll and returned to base ops.
His career interest was focused on flying. The Academy seemed the best approach to that end and after four
years of hard work(second class year was in question), Bryant graduated along
with the rest of the Golden Boys. It was
then off to Reese AFB and graduation as a basic pilot, then assigned to Perrin
AFB, then Tyndall AFB for training in the F-102 and F101 interceptor aircraft. Initial operation assignment in 1964 was to
Otis AFB as a rookie F-101 pilot. Flying
was great there.
In 1966 he
volunteered to go to Vietnam
and was sent to Cannon AFB to check out in the F-100. Shortly thereafter he was assigned to the 3rd
TFW at Bien Hoa and flew the F-100 until the big buildup of Army troops in 1967,
whereupon all fighter lieutenants became instant Forward Air Controller and
learned to fly the O-1e. He was wounded
in the Battle of Dak To and sent to various hospitals ending up at the Academy
hospital to recover. While in
recuperation he became an instructor for the AFA Military Training Department
and stayed in that position until 1971.
Next was the F-111(wonderful machine) at
Mountain Home AFB ID for three years followed by Air Command and Staff College,
graduating as a Distinguished Graduate in 1975. Then off the 9th Air Force HQ
as a Plans Officer for two years and selection Below the Zone for
Lieutenant Colonel. That lead to a one-year stint as a Research
Fellow for HQ USAF Concepts and Doctrine Division and then attendance at the National War College. To avoid the Pentagon, Bryant asked for a
remote overseas flying assignment and became an advisor to the US Military
Training Mission in Saudi
Arabia where he was a detachment commander
flying the F-5 until the fall of 1980.
He then went to HQ Pacific Command in Hawaii as a Plans and Programs
officer, was promoted to Colonel in 1982 and assigned to HQ TAC as the Deputy
Director of Operational Plans and Programs.
He then became the Commander of the 2nd Air Craft Delivery Group at
Langley AFB. This involved moving
aircraft(usually refueled) all over the world and even flying some missions
like foreign military sales F-15 and F-16 aircraft to Israel and Pakistan. In
1985 Bryant was assigned to the 552nd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing
at Tinker AFB, OK as the Commander for Operations. Flying a big bird, the E-3a, was a new
experience and commanding over 3500 people was challenging. In 1987 he went to
the Air War College
at Maxwell AFB as a professor and later the Chairman of the Department of
Military Studies. After 6 great years
there he retired in 1993. During his career,
he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Silver Star for gallantry in combat ,the
Bronze Star for bravery in combat, seven Air Medals, and 12 other decorations.
He resides in
Wetumpka in his home state of Alabama
with his wife, Maura, the District Judge of Elmore County. He stays busy volunteering, mostly in the
schools, and has received the President's Volunteer Award for National and
Community Service.
Proud to be a member
of the AFA class of 1963
