USAFA Class Heritage Class of 1963

Retired Col Air Force 87: CP (Command Pilot): 

96-14: V-Pres (Vice President) AbacusTechCorp Lexington MA (Massachusetts , Master of Arts);

89: Principal AbacusTechCorp;

88-89: Assoc/EngrMgtConsuffant BoozAllen&Hamiffon;

81-87: DptyDidDir SPO MILSTAR ESD (Electronic Systems Division)/Dir (Director) SPO E41Dir (Director) SPO AWACS (Aircraft Warning & Control System) HanscomAFB;

80-81: Cmdr (Commander) TUSLOG Det183 BafikesirTK;

78-80: SecCmdrT-37 8FTSq VanceAFB;

77-78: TestDir AFSTCOM SPO ESD (Electronic Systems Division) HanscomAFB;

72: MS (Mississippi) EE (Electrical Engineer) SacramentoStUniv; 70-71 : AcffCmdr 43BmbWg UTapaoABTH;

68-71: AcftCmdr 486BmbSq MarchAFB;

67-68: FAC 9ROKArDiv PhuHiepABSVN;

65: 720BmbSq MinotAFB; 

1LOM (Legion of Merit)-2DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross)-2MSM (Meritorious Service Medal)-19AM (Air Medal)-2AFCM (Air Force Commendation Medal)

35th Reunion (1998): Twenty four years of service rated as Fast, Neat, Average, Friendly, Good, Good. After USAFA, I graduated from UPT, but with no fighters available and an attitude that didn’t spell ATC IP, I won B-52s at Minot AFB, ND. I played copilot at Minot for two years. To get out of Minot I went off to F-100 school at Luke AFB, AZ. Lack of F-100Ds killed the assignment so I went to O-1s and by New Years Day, 1969, was flying for the Korean White Horse Division, Red Devil Regiment, Third Battalion out of Phu Heip II, Republic of Vietnam (RVN). From up close and personal humping a radio with the Republic of Korea (ROK) grunts, it looked like we kicked ass. Back to B-52s in 1970 at March AFB, CA and a good tour. [had a lead crew, and we represented my Wing in the 1970 Bombing Competition before returning to U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand in BUFFs. From there it was grad school in electrical engineering in route to an acquisition assignment with the AFSATCOM program at the Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB. It was a great tour focusing on developmental testing as well as field testing (back to Minot), but with exposure to every acquisition functional area. I planned to stay in acquisition forever, but the USAF needed pilots. So in 1979 I went back to SAC with the twist that I was part of their contribution to ATC as a T-37 IP at Vance AFB, OK. Nice, but I bailed out after eighteen months by taking a Site Commander job at Balakisher, Turkey. Turkey was in chaos and protecting a nuclear weapons storage area in the middle of nowhere was a terrific challenge. If you were willing to spend your own money, no receipts, you can do wonders in beefing up your perimeter defense against the attack that could, and did, hit the base in 1981 shortly after the Turkish military overthrew the civilian government. We succeeded but conditions were worse than at Phu Heip with the ROKs and closing the site in January 1982 was a smart move by NATO. I went back to Hanscom AFB and the acquisition world running test operations for E-4Bs and EC-135s. After a brief stint as Deputy System Program Office (SPO) Director defending a $2-million Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) terminal budget, I went first to the E-4B and then Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) as the SPO Director wrapping up my USAF career working passive Electronic Sensor Measures and delivering AWACS and Tankers to the Royal Saudi Air Force. After fooling around as an engineer for a while, I moved over to Abacus Technology Corporation and began building their presence as an acquisition support and information technology company. I am currently a Vice President with them and run the business we built serving local Boston commercial customers and USAF clients at Hanscom, Wright- Patterson, Robins, Tinker, Scott, and Saudi Arabia (big time stuff in Saudi). It’s 1997, wife’s in grad school getting a Ph.D. Social Work, two grown kids (a MD and an Accountant), all healthy, and its great to get up in the morning.