Gene Strouth:
CLASS OF 1980
Springstead High SchoolClass of 1980
Spring hill, FL
George Washington Junior High SchoolClass of 1975
Mt. clemens, MI
Selfridge Air Force Base Elementary SchoolClass of 1974
Mt. clemens, MI
Manor View Elementary SchoolClass of 1971
Ft. meade, MD
Dover Air Force Base Elementary SchoolClass of 1970
Dover afb, DE
Gene's Story
Life
What to say, what to say. Well, after graduation, I decided not to go to the Air Force Academy--as I was planning to do. I decided that I should go either to college OR the military, not both. I decided military. Really wish I had gone to college first because it ended up taking me 14 years to get a degree part-time. I earned a Master of Arts in Training & Development in May 2003. In the same week in May 03, I retired from the Air Force. [My military history is posted in another section, so I won't repeat that information, here.] I married the former K-Ronica Kadwell on Nov 12, 1994. We had a daughter, Kristyl-Rose, on my birthday the following year (Nov 15, 1995). K-Ronica has a son, Ryan (b. Jul 3, 1986) from her first marriage who lives in Parker, CO, and her married the former Samantha Wunderlich on Apr 3, 2010. K-Ronica and I are involved in our church and community. I taught Sunday school classes for 13 years; I taught 4th through 6th graders. We have both been mentors in the local school district. We've both been Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), representing kids in the local court system. For the past 10 years, I have supervised hundreds of Air Force volunteers during Wichita Falls' FallsFest. [Wichita Falls is in the north central part of Texas, which is where we've been since Jun 1994]. After retiring from the Air Force, I was unemployed for 10-1/2 months. I'm back working for the Air Force as a civilian here in Wichita Falls, TX, at Sheppard Air Force Base. As of Apr 3, 2006, I've been promoted to GS-12 and work as the Sheppard Air Force Base Training Flow Manager. As of May 9, 2010, I've become the Chief of Training Development at the 82d Training Wing's Faculty Development. On the 4th of July, 2006, I started an online travel business. Whenever you travel, check it out for competitive rates at "dubya, dubya, dubya, dot" "Xodus-Travel" "dot com." I've served 2 years on the City of Wichita Falls' Park Board, and the board of directors for Backdoor Theatre (community theatre in town). I'm the past board president and current secretary for the Wichita County Teen Court Advisory Board. I was in Germany for both our 5-year and 10-year H.S. class reunions and I was unaware of the 20-year class reunion until a week after the fact, and I just missed the 25-year class reunion, because I'd already made two trips to FL to celebrate 70th b-days for my mom and mom-in-law. I really like catching up with ole classmates. Whether I knew them well or not does not matter to me. So, if anyone wishes to get in touch, feel free to do so.
Take Care & God Bless,
Gene (a.k.a. Geno)
College
Colle...Expand for more
ge...for me...not what you would call conventional. While in the US Air Force (USAF), I did manage to obtain three 2-year degrees, one 4-year degree, and one graduate degree. The USAF has its own community college--the Community College of the Air Force--from which I received an AAS in Avionic Systems Technology and another in Instructor of Technology and Military Sciences. From the University of Maryland-European Division, I received an AA in Management Studies. Going to college part time, at night and on weekends, it took me from '82-'96 and eight different institutions before I finally received a BAAS in Applied Arts & Sciences with a major in Avionic Systems Technology. But training was my passion, so I made a deal with the USAF to go to Korea if they would return me to Sheppard AFB, TX. They agreed, and I received my last degree--an MA in Training & Development--from Midwestern State University, which is where I also received my BAAS degree in 96.
Military
I served in the US Air Force for 22+ years. I entered service on 7 May 81, and I retired effective 1 Sep 03 at the rank of Master Sergeant (MSgt) pay grade of E-7. Basic military training was at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX (May-Jun 81). My technical training--to become an Avionic Sensor Systems Specialist--was at Lowry AFB in Denver, CO (Jun-Nov 81). My first of nine duty assignments was at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC (Dec 81-May 83). My remaining eight assignments were as follows: Ramstein AB in Ramstein, Germany (May 83-May 85); Eglin AFB in Ft Walton Beach, FL (May 85-Mar 90); Hahn AB in Hahn, Germany (Mar-Dec 90); RAF Lakenheath in Lakenheath, England (Jan 91-Jan 93); Lowry AFB in Denver, CO (Mar 93-Jun 94); Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX (Jun 94-Mar 99); Osan AB in Osan, Republic of Korea (Mar 99-Mar 00); Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX (Mar 00-Aug 03). Among those assignments, I took part in temporary duty assignments to the following locales: Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV (twice); Zaragoza AB in Zaragoza, Spain; Incirlik AB in Incirlik, Turkey; and Spangdahlem AB in Spangdahlem, Germany. I was an avionics maintainer and supervisor for 13 of my 22+ years, and I was involved in technical training for the remainder of time. Training & Development become my passion after becoming a technical training instructor in 93. I didn't teach for long before I became a course writer. I later became an instructor supervisor, a schoolhouse section chief, a correspondence course writer, and a training manager. If I had it to do all over again, I probably would have entered the service again, but only after getting a degree and entering as an officer.
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