USAFA Class Heritage Class of 1963

Retired Col Air Force 89: CP (Command Pilot): 

D: 19 Oct 2017;

91-03: Owner/Software Consultant Prism Custom Software Beavercreek OH (Ohio);

89-94: Executive Director Business & Industry Center Edison Community College OH (Ohio); 8789: Director F-16 Development & Integration WPAFB;

86-87: Dir (Director) SysEngr WPAFB;

84-86: C structures&DynamicsDiv FltDynamicsLab WPAFB;

83-84: AFDptyDir AirtoAirMs/ConceptJointTestForce KirtlandAFB;

77-83: BrC AFTEC (Air Force Test and Evaluation Center) KirtlandAFB;

76: ICAF (Industrial College of the Armed Forces);

74-77: TestDir F-5JointTestTeam EdwardsAFB;

73-74: FltCmdr 17Wi/dWease/Sq (Squadron) KoratABTH;

70-73: Instr EngrMech USAFA (US Air Force Academy);

69-70: Stu (Student) AerospRschP/tSch EdwardsAFB;

69: lnstrPltT--38 3250 FTSq Tyndal/AFB (Air Force Base);

68: SOS (Squadron Officer School)(C);

67-68: lnstrP!t 3560 PltTngSq WebbAFB;

66: Pit (Pilot) 13TFSq (Tactical Fighter Squadron) KoratTH;

65-66: Pit (Pilot) 67TFSq (Tactical Fighter Squadron) KadenaABOkinawa;

64-65: PltTng (Pilot Training) VanceAFB;

63-64: PurdueUniv-MS (Mississippi) Astro; 

1LOM (Legion of Merit)-2DFC1MSM (Meritorious Service Medal)-11AM (Air Medal)-2AFCM (Air Force Commendation Medal)

35th Reunion (1998): Before heading to Purdue University after graduation, I took time out to get married to a young lady I had met while at the Academy— Connie and I recently celebrated our 34th anniversary. Following an interesting 6 1/2 months in graduate school, we moved to Vance AFB for my UPT, then to Las Vegas to learn how to fly the F-105, and finally to Okinawa to start my short stint as an operational fighter pilot. Maybe I was just lucky, but within a year, I was in Thailand completing my first combat tour. Rather than being returned to Okinawa to finish my three- year PCS assignment, the forces-to-be felt that it would be nice for me to be a T-38 IP. Two years in Big Spring, TX (Webb AFB) convinced us that we really should have some water to go with the sand, so we were off to Florida (Tyndall AFB) to instruct future T-38 IPs. Within six months of buying a home and boat, I was selling them to move back to the desert to attend test pilot school at Edwards AFB. After completing the school and staying at Edwards for a short time, I returned to the Academy as an academic instructor in the “Mech” Dept. I managed to cut short the tour by accepting an invitation to return to Thailand as a F-105 Wild Weasel pilot. Not only was the mission a bit different this time, but I was there for the full year rather than completing just 100 missions as I had done previously. Test pilot work was in my blood, so I lobbied to get back to Edwards. Although I did not fly anything with a “X” designation, there were opportunities to work on some of the new fighter programs. Upon my return to operational duty, rather than being assigned to a TAC squadron, I was sent to the AF Operational Test Center as a Program Director. My next four years were spent shuttling between Kirtland and Edwards to do operational testing on some of the same planes I had worked on previously as a development test pilot. Finally, the flying came to an end when I was promoted out of the cockpit. Five years at Wright Pat—finally in the labs and then in the F-16 program office —was enough to develop my AF career. My first civilian job was as director of the Business and Industry Center in a local community college. I learned enough about what was needed in that type of operation to start my own company developing computer software for colleges. As I write this, I continue to perform a myriad of tasks necessary to operate a small business. But I love it. By this time next year, maybe we will have moved. After raising two sons who have gone out on their own, Connie and I are looking for that perfect place to ’ride off into the sunset.’