Christopher Shipley:
CLASS OF 1978
Alameda High SchoolClass of 1978
Alameda, CA
Saint Mary's CollegeClass of 1998
Moraga, CA
Christopher's Story
Life
After graduation, I joined the U.S. Air Force. After basic training and technical school, I was sent to Zaragoza Air Base located in Northern Spain. I spent two years there and spent subsequent assignments at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan and McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington. I got off active duty in 1983 and went back into the Air Force Reserve in 1985. Initially, I intended only to spend two years there but ended up doing 18 years. I spent a total of 24 years in the Air Force and in addition to Spain, went to Hawaii, England, Korea, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. I was activated twice during that time for Operation DESERT STORM and the 9/11 attacks (Operations NOBLE EAGLE and ENDURING FREEDOM).
Civilian-wise, I returned to school and got an AAS in Electronic Engineering Technology and worked on computers for a while but that was not what I wanted to do in my life. In 1990, I was hired by BART with their police department. For the past 18 years, I have been a patrol officer and detective. In 1996, I went back to school and got my bachelors degree in 1998. If any of you ride BART, look for me!
In March 1993, I met my wife and we were married in June 1995. Just before the 20 year reunion, we found out my wife was pregnant with the first of our three children. Our oldest, a girl, was born in February 1999. In October 1999, we found out my wife was pregnant again. At the first ultrasound, the technician was telling my wife "theres the legs, the arms, head, and heres the heart beat." Then she says "And here's the other one." My wife responded "the other what?" The technician says "The other baby. Didn't you know you were having twins?" My wife responded "No, I didn't." She came out of the room and her doctor was there. He asked her "How are you doing?" She says "Its twins! Its twins!" He asked "You going to be alright?" She said she would. Our twins are boy/girl and were born in June 2000. We have a noisy and messy household but they are a lot of fun and we have great time with all of them.
FUNNY CHILDREN'S STORY:
I have to share this story and thought this would be the place to share it. In June 2005, I took my twins for their 5 year well check. Well, they also had immunizations due, 5 a piece. My son, Daniel, got his first two then wanted no more. When the third came, he looked at the nurse and said "Don't sharp me! Don't sharp me!" When he got all his shots, he was majorly PO'ed.
When it was Taylors turn, she cried as well. Her older sister was there. She looked at me with teary eyes and asked "Is Sarah getting a shot?" I told her no she wasn't due for any. Taylor looked at me and said "Why not?! I want Sarah to have a shot too."
As we left Kaiser in Walnut Creek, Daniel was still very angry. He stomped through the lobby saying "Shots are stupid!!!" We went outside and in front of about 15 people he says "Dad, shots are sh**!" While I had to be the good parent and correct him on his bad language, I couldn't help but smile on the inside and wanted to say 'You're absolutely right'.
Another story: My wife has been transferred to San Diego with our children. One day while I was down there, I was picking up Kim from the hospital when I was trying to get Taylor to call her mother "Commander, ma'am" but she wouldn't do it. Finally, she asked me out of the blue "Daddy, is hush a bad word?" I told her no it wasn't. She replied "Okay. Daddy, hush your mouth!" I nearly fell out of my seat on that one. Smart and only 5 years old!
Christmas Story: This year we took the kids to see Santa Claus. We arrived at the place and for the first time ever in my life, it was empty. The girls walked right in while my son wouldn't come in. I went over to him and asked him if he was coming in. He said "I can't see Santa." I asked why not. He looked up with his big blue eyes and said "I'm on the naughty list, dad."
School
High School was among the best memories I have. Although Sophmore year was not good academically, I still enjoyed school. Classes were about what I expected. Extra ciricular activities were a lot of fun. Running cross country and track were highlights. I also enjoyed the ski club and the newspaper.
The faculty was also good to me. The person that I probably have the best memories of was Dave Fairfield who was my counselor. Don Perata was also someone I had enjoyed taking classes from (I later ran into Senator Perata at the Rockridge BART Station. I was surprised that he did remember me).
College
Twenty years after I graduated from high school, I got my Bachelors Degree in Management. At the urging and support of my wife, I was able to get my degree through an extended study program offered at St. Mary's College in Moraga.
The program was excellent and I met some great people in my class. All were real helpful and, for me at least, it was a lot of fun. There was also another guy in my class who liked it just as well as I did. We got to be good friends. In fact, we used to joke that for our last six months, we were going to take leaves of absences from our jobs and go to the campus and move in the dorms and party with the students. Neither of us went full time to a four year college. We laughed about how we w...Expand for more
ould be the "oldest seniors" on campus.
We were a small class (12 people) but we all had fun getting together. It got to where I enjoyed going to class on Monday nights. Great experience.
Workplace
In 1990, I went to work in the job that I have wanted since I was a kid.........being a police officer. After a few setbacks in this area of getting the job, I was finally hired.
I have worked in patrol a majority of the time but did have a less than a year in Criminal Investigations. The World Trade Center attacks put me on active military duty and I was forced to transfer out and I was assigned back to the patrol division while I was on active military duty. I also serve as a Crime Scene Investigator and am on our Tactical Team. I am also part of a large crowd control team in Contra Costa County known as the Mutual Aid Mobile Field Force. Representatives from all law enforcement agencies in Contra Costa County serve on the team.
After returning back to my job, I have been working in patrol and loving it. I have been a police officer for over 18 years now and can't imagine doing anything else. Recently I was selected as a Field Training Officer (FTO) which I have wanted for a long time. If you ride BART and see me, please say hello and if you have time, lets go to a Starbucks, have a cup, and catch up.
Military
I left for basic training on July 13, 1978, almost a month after we graduated. I arrived at Lackland Air Force Base at 11:30 PM and it was still hot and humid out. We were all standing around when we heard the distinctive "click" of taps on shoes coming around the corner. It was our Training Instructor. He was wearing his "Smokey the Bear" hat, uniform starched crisp, and dark glasses. It was pitch black and he was wearing dark glasses! He then took us up to our barracks dayroom and told us "Men, we're going to be on a first name basis here." I thought "This isn't so bad." He then said "Yours is 'Airman', mine is 'Sir'." I was sure the next 6 weeks were going to be the longest of my life but we were so busy learning things and going to classes, it went by fast.
In September, 1978, I started security police technical school. We spent five weeks in classrooms, then an additional four weeks at Camp Bullis in Air Base Defense Training. There I was assigned to be a machinegunner. I was 5'6" tall weighed 129 lbs. The thing was bigger than me!!! We also had this one instructor who used to tell us "Make no mistake, men. The big one's comin'" His sanity came into question when I saw him turn over a rock, pull out his bayonet and skewer three scorpions. He was watching them sting the blade as they were dying and giving a wierd kind of laugh. Despite this, he was a good instructor and one of a kind (Thank God!!!!).
After basic and tech school I went to Zaragoza Air Base, Spain and assigned to the 406th Combat Support Group/Security Police Division in November 1978. I spent two years there where I found that military life fit me well. I had some significant successes while assigned there. I was selected as the Unit, Group, and Wing Airman of the Quarter for the Third Quarter of 1979. I was selected for promotion to Senior Airman (E-4) Below the Zone with less than two years in the service. I was also selected as the unit Law Enforcement Specialist of the Year and went on to compete at the major command level.
In January 1981, I was reassigned to the 379th Security Police Squadron at Wurtsmith AFB, MI, Stategic Air Command (SAC). After being "SAC-um-cized" I was assigned to flight where I got my first taste of a real SAC alert and exercise. I was there to participate in the Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) and was selected as one of five outstanding performers in the Security Police. I was also selected for promotion to Staff Sergeant (E-5) during that time.
After that I applied for cross training and was accepted into the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). After 12 weeks of training in Washington D.C., I was assigned to AFOSI District 20, Base Investigative Detachment, McChord AFB, WA. I spent two years there investigating Criminal and Fraud cases. I separated and went back to civilian life.
In 1985, I found that I had missed the military but did not want to go back full time. I joined the reserves and spent the next 18 years doing one weekend a month and two weeks active duty every year. We spent annual tours in Hawaii, England, Korea, and lastly in Germany.
In 1991, I was mobilized for Operation DESERT STORM. I spent 3 months on active duty at Travis AFB backfilling the active duty personnel that had been sent to the desert ("The sand box").
In 2001, I was mobilized a second time in response to the terror attacks on the World Trade Center. This time I spent 13 months on active duty with 4 months being spent in Saudi Arabia (referred to as being sent "down range"). Saudi Arabia was actually one of the best assignments I ever had. I was selected to run Criminal Investigations and the Resource Protection Program. A great cap to an outstanding military career.
On November 1, 2002, I was honorably retired at the rank of Master Sergeant (E-7) from the U.S. Air Force, spending nearly 24 years in both the active and reserve forces.
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