Michael Callihan:
CLASS OF 1981
Warren High SchoolClass of 1981
Vincent, OH
Washington State Community CollegeClass of 1983
Marietta, OH
Waterford High SchoolClass of 1981
Waterford, OH
Barlow-Vincent Elementary SchoolClass of 1977
Vincent, OH
Michael's Story
Life
I re-married in Feb 2004 to a sweet girl that I had asked to marry me back in '85. My son Thayne was born 14 Jun 05. I retired from the Air Force after 21 years in Jul '05. Now I work at Home Depot part-time and watch my son change each day.
Military
I enlisted in '84 and was stationed at William AFB AZ where I worked in the Afterburner shop and compressor balance. I left for Bitburg Germany in Jul 87 and was assinged to the Jet engine shop there. In '88 I went TDY to Italy with 525 TFS and 53rd TFS. Went I got back I was asked by Chief Evans which Sqaudron I wanted to work for...Both Chief's from 53rd and 525 wanted me. I chose the 53rd TFS. I was in the 53rd for the next 8 years, went on 26 TDY's and saw lots of countries.
I went to Desert Storm where I crewed 84-0027 F-15C with Jon Haugdahl. Capt Benjamin Powell shot down 2 Migs with my jet on 27 Feb 1991.
In '94 we took our jets from Bitburg and went to Operation Provide Confort at Incirlik AB Turkey and while we were there we changed the tails from BT to SP to signify the change to Spangdahlem. I worked swings during that deployment. One day, we heard about our jets had shot down 2 Iraqi helos but soon after we got into work we learned it was two blackhawks from our base. Myself, MSgt Rick Carey and I've forgoten the other crew chief had to recover both jets (84-0025 and 79-0025) and double stuff them in a HAS and lock them down for 21 days during the investigation. Our own Intel officer lost his fiance on one of those blackhawks along with 20 others.
When we returned home, Sweet Bitburg was gone...also gone was Soesterberg so we combined people and went to Spangdahlem. Then there was the crash of "sick 8"...79-0068. Until that time we had the AF highest safe flying hours for F-15's McDonald Douglas presented us with plaques each 10,000 safe flying hours. I was there for t...Expand for more
he 40,000 plaque thru the 90,000 plaque. We were at 98,000 hours when 68 went down on takeoff.
After 9 years in USAFE, I left Spang in '96 to Elmendorf AFB Alaska. There I was assigned to 54 FS. Alot of old Bit friends were there, Cubby, Blaine , Pat, TJ and many others. Many more TDY's to places like Thailand, Singapore, Japan and others. I also got the chance to make a around the world trip of a lifetime. We left Alaska and stopped at Bangor Maine, Crete, then on into Al's Garage Saudi Arabia. When our time was up there, we left there and stopped at Diago Garcia, then Singapore, Kadena AB Okinawa Japan, Misawa AB Japan, then back to Elmendorf Alaska.
In 2000 I went to QA where I eventually took over Weight and Balance. Then when I made MSgt in '02, Chief Shannon decided that I needed to come off the flightline after 12 years to the backshop again. There I was teamed up with Ken Stiffler in JEIM. That was a blast. I got a chance to take 10 troops from the engine shop to Kadena Japan during Operation Enduring Freedom/ Nobel Eagle. Another great TDY!!!
Well PACAF kicked me out after 7 years and I was sent to Mountain Home Idaho. There I was put in EMB with Billy Bowden (I knew Billy from alaska). I had alot of people there that I knew from olden days. Almost 40 all together. My old roommate Mike Garrison from Williams was there along with Terry Neuharth (Terry let me barrow his Toyota truck to go get my first Divorce in Sierra Vista AZ in '85. I took over EMB after Billy retired and was having a great time crusing toward retirement.
Then the hardest job I ever had came along.....First Seargent duty. So much for crusing my last 6 months. Anyway that was how I finished up my career.
I'll miss all the TDY's and the jets and all the people!! Especially the people...thanks to you (you know who you are) for all the memories!!! Mike
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