John Cole:  

Where do you start with one of these I guess Just after I graduated from high school. As most know I left for the Air Force two weeks after graduation and never looked back. After basic which was in the wonderful city of San Antoino TX.,After basic I went to Lowery AFB which was in Denver CO and spent the next 4 months completing my first military training school to become a Nuclear Weapons Tech. Once done there I went home for a couple of weeks and visited friends and family before I left for my first duty station Araxos AB Greece, I spent the next 18 months there and in Jul of 1981 I returned home. After returning from Greece my next assignment was to 351st Missle Wing at Whiteman AFB Knob Noster MO. I spent 4.5 years there working on Nuclear Missles for the 351st FMMS and getting promoted from Airmen First Class to Staff Sergeant. In 1985 the Air Force offered me two options right after I had just reenlisted for the first time. Get out or retrian into an other career field. Well I was not ready to give up the Air Force and I was kind of ready for a life change so I took them up on thier offer to learn another job in the military. So off I went to another Tech School at Sheppard AFB where I trained to become an Aircraft Maintenance Tech on Tactical Aircraft (F-4, F-16, F-15 etc) basicly fighters. I completed school in Nov 0f 85 as an Honor Grad and was sent to Nellis AFB NV to start my second career for the Air Force as an F-16 Fighting Falcon Crew Chief for the 429th AMU. I have to say my time there was some of the best times I had in my military career. Living in the City of Sin was great. You know what they say now, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. After 4.5 years at Nellis and my unit being deactivated by the Air Force. They once again gave me a wonderful oppurtunity to advance my career and alllowed me to become a Technical Training Instructor for the 362nd TTGS back at Sheppard AFB TX were for the next 4.5 years I taught the Air Forces newest Crew Chiefs how to perform maintenace in some of the Air Forces best fighters in the world, F-16's, F-117's, F-15's, A-10's and F-111's. While at Sheppard this time I met and married my wonderful wife in June of 91, this was also the year I was promoted to the rank of E-6 Technical Sergeant She brought with her into the marriage our two children Brandy and Micheal. In 1992 I was selected as the Senior Instructor of the year for the Sq. In 1994 we decided it was time to move on and see some more of this wonderful world and show our kids there is more then just southwest Texas. Some would say there is no where else but Texas. But I knew better and off we went to our next home at Misawa AB Japan where I became a Panther of the 13th Fighter Sq and we spent the next 3 years seeing all of Japan we could. In 1996 while there I was promoted to the rank of E-7 Master Sergeant and I entered the elite area of the Top Three enlisted tier. A few months later in Feb of 1997 it was time to leave Japan and come back to the States. Let me tell you it is no fun taking your High School Senior daugther out of the only High School she has known and make her start over midway through her senior year. But I did this and she was no worst for it. So we got on the plane to yet another assignment this time to the the 308th Emerald Knights at Luke AFB AZ. Once there I get the chance once again to change my life and career path wi...Expand for more