Hello again'92. I cannot believe that it's time to write to you again.
Of course it's on Sept as I wrote this, but let me wish you Happy
Holidays since for you it's probably Nov. I've changed my location since
I last wrote. For those of you who have kept up with me this past year
and a half--good job, as I can barely remember where I live. Sure
Edwards is in So Cal, but let me be the first to dispel the image of the
beach that is in your head. Lots of sand, but no ocean. I am now a
full-badged and credentialed OSI agent and enjoying the job as is
presents new challenges every day. I finally got settled here moving
into my apartment in Lancaster two weeks ago. I'm rooming with Dan
WATOLA, '93, and live down the street from Dave MCAULEY. Dave is working
in intel and will be making a guest appearance in the column today. Dave
and I recently make a trip back to Denver to participate in an AF
Leadership Conference for Catholic Single Airmen which was held
simultaneously with the Pope's visit and World Youth Day. At the
conference we saw some other grads: J.J WILSON who is at F.E. Warren
taking care of our missiles and Bill STARKEY with is at Peterson playing
with satellites. There '91, '90, and even older grads, too.
Here's Dave..."Hey! Here's a few words on some other '92ers that I've
heard from lately. Mary Jo (DROZDOWSKI) and Terry DUNCAN are doing well,
just moved into a new apartment recently and will be finishing up their
degree's in Jan. Then they'll be heading off to Phillip's Lab in
Albuquerque. Ed NEUMANN recently wrote, too, and is doing will in the
rotation for the CINCSTRAT's Current Intelligence Briefings and starting
work on his Master's degree. Lisa HORTON is at Andrews, and just
returned from a two-week trip to Japan where she saw Mike STEVENSON at
Kadena, Okinawa. Both are having a great time with their new jobs.
Marlee RUST and Elizabeth KUREY are both at Wright-Patterson, which
provides me with the opportunity to visit them on TDYs there. Both say
"hi." Finally, Suzy STOKES sent a postcard from Alaska where she
deployed for an exercise in Aug with her unit from Plattsburg. Along
with her there on the "good guys" side were Greg SOUKUP, Chris
COLCLASURE, and Gary DEYOUNG. Opposing them on the "bad guys" side were
Mike STEVENSON and Vinny TARANTINO. Speaking of which, Vinny married
Rhonda in Aug and last report was that she has the title of CINCHOUSE.
That's all from me, now back to James..."
I was reading the quarterly OSI newsletter and came across Todd
MCDOWELL'S name. He was named the Special Agent Performer of the Quarter
for AFOSI Det 203, Griffiss AFB. Todd was responsible for initiation 43
percent of the criminal investigation opened by Det 203 and identified
over $17,000 in investigative recoveries of money or equipment for the
Air Force. Congratulation and good work, Todd!
Some other True Blue grads are out here in the desert as well. John
MILTNER is a test analyst for the B-52 program out here and just bought
his first house. John and I were in 22 together and have been checking
out So Cal together. I also ran into Rod RICARD in the gym here and he
said that Jara FATOUT was working at Phillip's Lab on Edwards and lives
next door to him on base. I got a cal from Vince HAMMACHER at work the
other day. He is at Wright-Pat with his wife, Laurie (MEEKS), but comes
out to Edward once a month to work with the B-2. I'm going to see some
guys from L.A. Air Station this week--Werner GARNER, engineering
(banked) and Rob ATKINS, intel.
I even got some letters this quarter. The first was from Orlando ACOSTA.
Orlando is working in the AWACS squadron at Tinker as a weapons
director. He is rooming with Tom PACHECO who is coming into his
squadron, as is Tracy SAILOR and Ally CHAUVIN. Paul QUIGLEY is also
starting training for the AWACS there as well. Mike CARDOZA is in the
computer division there while waiting for UPT. Orlando ran into Jim
MEGER who got an A-10 to Kunsan and is now at Holloman for training.
Coincidentally, while still at Vance, I went to Oklahoma City for the
4th of July and ran into Orlando, Karl FRERKING and Mike CARDOZA at
Bricktown. We were there enjoying our nation's birthday and having a
great time.
The next letter comes from Monte and Erica HARNER. (Actually, Erica
wrote the letter.) She and Monte are at McGuire where he is an engineer
in the CE squadron. Monte is enjoying the 8-to-5 job and having the
weekends off. They said they are not planning to leaving McGuire anytime
soon, but they both miss Colorado and want to get back there for their
next assignment. Earlier, this year, they had a son, Christopher John,
to go with their daughter Katelinne. Monte said Chris FREY is an
engineer at Seymour-Johnson and that Brad SWEEZY is somewhere in the
Northeast. Thom DOBBS also keeps in touch with them all the way from
Korea and is doing well there. That's about it from the Harner
family.
Next, I got a short letter from Josh KUTRIEB who was in-processing at
Vance for class 94-09 as I was leaving. He said he spend last summer
having a blast in Europe (mostly Salzburg) and meeting his fiance,
Kristin Fiorella. Josh is getting married on New Year's Eve in Buffalo,
NY. Kristin was high school friends with Joel MILLER, so Josh says the
has heard many stories and seen many crazy pictures of Joel in high
school. Vern CONAWAY and Dan KUZMIC ('93) will be part of the wedding
party.
The last letter for this column comes from my buddy Dave KUMASHIRO who
just graduated from Laughlin with 14 other True Blue pilots. Dave is on
his way to Dover to fly C-5s via training at Altus. He sent the rest of
the class' assignments as well: Patrick DABROWSKI, c-130 Pope; Shawn
DONAHEY, C-9, Ramstein; Peter DOTY, UN-1N, Vandenberg; Dana GOODMAN,
F-16, Luke; Mark JONES, C-13-, Dyess; Brandon LOKEN, C-141, McGuire;
Albert MILLER, KC-135, Grand Forks; Kevin WILSON, KC-135, Robins; and
Dennis HUEY, Mike KASIC, Edward KOHARIK, Brian MCLAUGHLIN, and Scott
SMITH, airlift.
>From the files of the AOG I got some change-of-address cards: Chuck
HENDERSON-Wright-Pat; Blane RASCH--Laughlin; Wes FRYER--Reese; John
LANCE--Laughlin, and last, John and Tanya (KOBBERDAHL, '93) KUBINEC are
now married an stationed in South Carolina.
Finally, the last section of the newsletter is usually from other CS-22
grads. Steve WOLF, USMC, is stationed in Hawaii and is now engaged to
Kay, another USMC Lt. Rob TOBLER is engaged to a mystery woman, (Rob
call me and give me the details) in Florida at Hurlburt. Don UNWIN
graduated from Columbus and will be at Scott flying C-9s. Also from his
class: James SHIGEKANE, Travis; Jeff MARKS, C-141, McGuire; Scott
GUNDLACH, Lackland; Jeff CUOIO, KC-135, Kadena; Mark STEGER, T-37,
Laughlin; Jeff WHITEMAN, KC-10, Barksdale; Neil BEGALMAN, KC-135,
Fairchild; Conrad STEGEMAN and Sam WHITE who just married Chereda,
Edwards; Mark HERSANT, Dover; Chris WEBER (just married to Pam), C-141,
Travis; Rob COOK, Wright-Pat; Gregg LEWIS, UH-1, Hill; Paul MULLIS,
UH-1, Langley; Jeff GARTMAN, KC-135, Fairchild; Kermit HARNESS, C-130,
Pope; Dan DEWENTER, C-5, Travis; Eric RYDBERG, F-16, Luke; and Lea
ALFORD, T-37, Columbus.
That's all for this exciting episode! Here's a short disclaimer: if you
write me, and I hope you do, it may take up t six months until it's
reported here because of the early deadlines. So don't despair, I won't
leave you out, just be patient. Thanks to everyone who wrote me this
time and until we meet again, take care and keep charging for that 1LT
promotion. James. Oh yeah, GO FALCONS!
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