USAFA Class Heritage

After graduating from Christian Brothers high school in St. Louis, Jack received an appointment to the US Air Force Academy graduating in 1963. He initially selected an Intelligence career in Security Service (USAFSS). His early Air Force assignments were San Angelo, TX; Peshawar, Pakistan; and the National Security Agency (NSA) in Maryland.                                                                                                                         Jack was then assigned to San Antonio and served as aide for the Commanding General USAFSS for two years then entered UPT at Randolph AFB in San Antonio. After graduating, he received his initial C-130 qualification in Tennessee and first permanent assignment to Dyess AFB, Abilene TX. Soonafter, his squadron was transferred to Taiwan with multiple sorties flown in support of Army/Marine Corp operations during the Vietnam war. Jack received the Distinguished Flying Cross while serving in the theater. 

After 4 years instructing C-130 replacement aircrews bound for Southeast Asia at Little Rock AFB, Jack earned his master's degree in business administration while assigned to the Air Force's Operational Test Center at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM. The protype C-17 aircraft was the focus of Air Force operational testing at the time and Jack was a team member. He also maintained currency in AF Systems Command T-39s. His later Air Force years were assignments to HQ Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Illinois, and a return assignment to Little Rock AFB.

Following retirement from the Air Force, Jack then had a further 25 year successful management career mainly with Xerox in the Kansas City area.

Jack like playing contact sports in his early years which included playing several years of Air Force football followed by several years of the always intense squadron intramurals. Later on, Jack played golf and raquetball, but major back surgery permantly ended those activities

He enjoyed his years as a member of his Parish's Knights of Columbus Council, and he was proud of its charitable accomplishments. Jack has bequeathed his body to the Kansas University Med Center with his final resting place destined for the Missouri Veterans Cemetary in western Missouri. Jack is married to Carleen (Cook) Kochanski and has two daughters Kristin and Lori.