PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
The following Reflections represents SMSGT Ronald Radliff’s legacy of his military service from 1964 to 1991. If you are a Veteran, consider preserving a record of your own military service, including your memories and photographs, on Togetherweserved.com (TWS), the leading archive of living military history. The following Service Reflections is an easy-to-complete self-interview, located on your TWS Military Service Page, which enables you to remember key people and events from your military service and the impact they made on your life. Start recording your own Military Memories HERE.
Please describe who or what influenced your decision to join the Air Force.
I grew up as an Air Force brat. Our travels took us to Germany shortly after WW-II, France in the mid-50s, and a number of states here and there. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until I was in college that I actually started and completed two consecutive years in the same school.
The college I attended was a junior college. I was studying to be an electronics technician but didn’t graduate as I hadn’t taken all the required courses. I soon found that there was a recession going on and not a job of any kind to be found and the reality of the draft was a very serious part of every young man’s life. Volunteering for the military became the obvious next step, but which one?
I was hoping to get into a technical career field in the military. The Army and Marines seemed like I would have only two chances of a technical field. Slim and None. This left the Navy and Air Force as the obvious choices. I ruled out the Navy as I had no desire to spend any time at sea, let alone extended periods, so the Air Force was my choice.
At that time, my younger brother was out of high school and going nowhere with prospects that looked even less optimistic. I convinced him to go talk to the Air Force recruiter with me. After all the necessary paperwork, the recruiter told us we’d have to come back to take the AFQT (Armed Forces Qualification Test). He scheduled us for the afternoon of November 22, 1963. A historic date indeed. President Kennedy was assassinated that day in Dallas. The recruiters were all gathered around the TV which was playing quite loudly in the next room to where we were taking our tests. The glass partition between the test room and the TV didn’t muffle the sound at all. What a stressful afternoon that was.
Whether you were in the service for several years or as a career, please describe the direction or path you took. What was your reason for leaving?
In those days, an Airman’s career field was dictated more on what the Air Force needed and what an airman’s aptitude was and less on what the Airman wanted. Essentially, the career counselors acted more like salesmen than counselors. My AFQT scores were all 95% percentile, so somewhere in there was a fit for the nuclear weapons career field as that was the field that had to be filled at the time. At the same time, my brother qualified for ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) school. At this point, it was all just counseling and nothing official. I still needed to have a background investigation done so they could give me a Top Secret clearance, as was required for the field at that time.
Towards the end of basic training, the TI came in one day and announced to the flight what everyone’s career fields would be. Somewhere along the way, they mixed up the career fields for my brother and I. Subsequently, one of my first actions was to have my tech school orders amended. Pretty much an ominous start in the Air Force.
After basic training, it was off to tech school at Lowry AFB, CO. In those days, tech school was divided into two sections. First was Electronics Fundamentals which was, as the name implies, the basic principles of electronics. This portion of the school was comprised of airmen from several career fields. To my mind, it was more of a weeding out process for the second part of tech school which was referred to as Sets School. Sets School was where we learned the various weapons that were in the Air Force inventory at the time. Somehow, I was selected to be a class leader and graduated the course as an honor student.
During my career, I held nearly every position possible with the exception of Career Field Manager and was in every command using nuclear weapons technicians except PACAF. At one point, I worked on a weapon that was so old it was no longer taught in tech school because “no one would ever see them in the field”.
As a first-termer, about all I wanted to do was get out of the service. This was probably (now that I look back on it) because that is what my peers were planning and with the feeling that “anything else has gotta be better than this”. At one point, I considered retraining into the nuclear reactor career field. I had even taken the test and passed it, but for some reason changed my mind and didn’t follow through. Shortly after that, I reenlisted for the first of many times.
If you participated in any military operations, including combat, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, please describe those which made a lasting impact on you and, if life-changing, in what way?
People in my career field weren’t used in combat areas, but in some cases, people were cross-trained (voluntarily or involuntarily) into other branches of the general munitions area and sent to Vietnam and surrounding areas in support of the war. Fortunately for me, I wasn’t one of them.
Of all your duty stations or assignments, which one do you have fondest memories of and why? Which was your least favorite?
Three bases come to mind in this category. First would be Fairchild AFB. This was my longest stay at any one base. I was there for 6 years. When I arrived, I’d never been in SAC before, never worked those weapons systems, and never really supervised anyone. By the time I left, we had established a record of better than average inspection results.
Second is RAF Bentwaters in England. We had a small shop with good people who all got along well, for the most part. England is rich with history, afforded us with sightseeing opportunities any time a weekend or holiday rolled around.
The third is Ramstein AB in Germany. I was on HQ USAFE staff which gave me the opportunity to go TDY to every base in USAFE in one capacity or another. In every instance, I and those on TDY with me tried to actually help the folks in the subordinate units either in preparation for upcoming MAJCOM inspections or just to make their day to day work easier or more understandable. Living in Germany also afforded us endless sightseeing opportunities and, never to be forgotten, the food was great.
Every one of my assignments held its own distinct set of memories. For some assignments, the memories are of the weather or other conditions or situations that come to the forefront, but generally, it’s the people I served with that form my memories. Every assignment had its ups and downs for one reason or another. At the time, low points tend to seem insurmountable and often taint an individual’s opinion of a particular unit or location. Usually, these low points are just passing situations that can be overcome. Now that my military career is over, I look back in retrospect and have fond memories of each of my assignments.
From your entire military service, describe any memories you still reflect back on to this day.
Being selected for a MAJCOM staff position stands out in my memory as the highlight of my career. I felt honored that someone recognized something about my accomplishments, abilities, potential, or dedication that motivated them to ask me to join the staff.
Of all the medals, awards, formal presentations and qualification badges you received, or other memorabilia, which one is the most meaningful to you and why?
The award that comes to mind in this category is the Humanitarian Service Award. In most cases, non-combat awards merely say an individual did a good job while assigned to a given unit. In this particular case, it’s not the award itself, but the uniqueness of the reason for the award that makes it meaningful or memorable.
In May of 1980, Mount Saint Helens erupted. Although Fairchild AFB is about 300 miles to the east, the entire area was covered with volcanic ash over I don’t know how many inches deep. The ash is very abrasive and detrimental to the operation of any kind of machinery with moving parts including car engines and aircraft engines. Every square foot of area where a vehicle or airplane could travel or other machinery operated had to be cleaned, mostly by hand, over a period of a couple of weeks. The Humanitarian Service Award was awarded to everyone on base at that time.
Which individual(s) from your time in the military stand out as having the most positive impact on you and why?
With so many assignments, I’ve worked with and for numerous people, many of whom have had an impact one way or another on my career. Of all the people I’ve known, I feel that CMSgt Lou Riedl had the greatest impact on both my career and me personally. My first memory of him was in 1979 when SAC held a conference for all shop chiefs in the command at March AFB. He was a SMSgt at the time and seemed to be well known and respected by many of the other shop chiefs. His comments and opinions during the conference showed deep thought and a definite commitment to the betterment of the career field as a whole.
Later, while assigned to HQ 15AF, he performed staff assistance visits to units where I was assigned. I always felt that his staff assistance visits were exactly as the name implies, help for me to do a better job. His constructive criticism, observations, and recommendations were always kept at the personal level. Specifics were never elevated to a higher level within the unit unless there was a mission impacting problem.
Late in my career, I had the privilege of working for and with CMSgt Riedl at HQ USAFE. Seeing how he worked in the office and traveling with him on TDYs from base to base, I saw firsthand how he supported the troops in whatever way possible and did everything he could to make our career field a better place to work. As one small example of his support for the troops, whenever promotions to SSgt and above were announced, he would personally call the individuals, throughout the command, to congratulate them.
I’m proud to call CMSgt Riedl my mentor and my friend. Later in my career, and even now that I’ve retired, when confronted with a given situation I often ask myself “What would Lou do or expect me to do in this situation?”. That is a leader in my estimation.
Can you recount a particular incident from your service, which may or may not have been funny at the time, but still makes you laugh?
What you ask for and what you get may not always be the same thing and could make you regret not choosing your words more carefully. At Base X, we were scheduled for a numbered Air Force inspection team visit. The sole purpose of the visit was to determine if the facilities were being maintained in a proper manner. As sometimes happens, those at higher levels in the pecking order made some irrational demands in preparation for the visit. The directive came down from on high (or at least part way up) to repaint all the offices in preparation for the inspection. One NCOIC protested on the basis that the offices under his control had already been painted within the past 18 months or so and were still in good repair. Repainting for the sake of putting on new paint would be a waste of manpower and money.
Those on high (or at least part way up) were unrelenting and ordered him to repaint all offices. An order is an order and must be obeyed. The NCOIC asked what color scheme those on high (or at least part way up) would like the offices painted. “I don’t care what color paint you use, just get it done”. “Right!” said the NCOIC. Taking those on high (or at least part way up) at their word, he had each room painted with a different color, using the brightest and loudest colors he could find.
Those on high (or at least part way up) were not pleased, but they chose their words more carefully after that. Everyone else had a good laugh.
What profession did you follow after your military service, and what are you doing now? If you are currently serving, what is your present occupational specialty?
Following retirement from the Air Force, I moved to Albuquerque because of all the nuclear weapons-related jobs there and also because I couldn’t afford the high cost of living in the area around Vandenberg AFB where I was stationed at the time. After sitting through the preretirement classes and briefings, I fully believed it would be easy to get a follow-on job in the civilian community. The transition classes had claimed that the civilian community was eager to higher retired military members due to their skills, management experience, dedication to duty, and work ethic etc. I found that in my case at least, not to be true.
After 6 months of trying to find work that would use my abilities and experience, I finally got a minimum wage job as a security guard out of desperation. That lasted about a year until I found another low paying job working in a warehouse.
Eventually, the owner of the company recognized that I had a lot of computer skills and promoted me to purchasing manager. At that point, I worked myself into an additional duty as the company’s computer technician for Windows-based computers.
Unhappy with the company’s management style and low pay, my immediate supervisor and I both moved on to jobs with another fledgling company. When we started with the new company, there were a total of 6 people in the company and 3 computers. When I retired 11 years later, the company had moved to a larger facility, employed over 25 people, had 30 networked computers and a large web presence.
I fully retired in 2009 when I turned 66 years of age and moved to Washington State. I now occupy my time with my hobby of wood-turning.
What military associations are you a member of, if any? What specific benefits do you derive from your memberships?
I’m a life member of the Air Force Sergeant’s Association. The monthly AFSA magazine keeps me in touch with what’s happening in the Air Force today and through the letters to the editor, the concerns of both active duty and retired members.
As a side note, my father was a charter member of the AFSA when it began back in the early 60s. He was quite proud of what that new organization was doing and what it was trying to accomplish for the enlisted force. All these years later, it’s still going strong.
In what ways has serving in the military influenced the way you have approached your life and your career? What do you miss most about your time in the service?
For one thing, though my wife might not agree, I tend to be more organized in the things I do than most of the people I deal with who have not been in the military.
I’m more conscious of safety and security conditions and situations at work and at home. In jobs that I’ve held since military retirement, I find that civilians tend to be a lot more lax in these areas, particularly safety.
I expect more in the way of professionalism, courtesy, pride, and personal appearance that civilians seem to. Whenever I go back on a military base for any reason, it’s almost like going home again.
Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give to those who have recently joined the Air Force?
Make the best of your situation and always do the best job you can, not just enough to get by. Be proud of the job you do and your branch of the military.
Wherever you may be assigned, look at the good aspects of that assignment. Learn about the area you are in, get out and see it. If serving overseas, learn about people and their cultures. Be proud to be an American, but not arrogant or boastful in foreign countries. You are their guest, show them the respect you would expect of visitors to your country and you will be better for it.
For the younger folks, it’s always easy to look at those above you and think of how easy they have it. Consider this: those above you were once doing the jobs you are doing now and have earned their way to a higher position. While they may not be doing the same thing you are, they now have their own duties and responsibilities, much of which you aren’t aware. Try to learn from those appointed above you by observing both their good and bad points and you will be better for it when you assume a higher position.
For the more senior folks, remember from whence you came. Remember your mindset when you were in their position and try to understand what they are thinking about the job and their potential careers. Set a good example for them to follow, be honest with them, and be fair. Always recognize, publicly if possible, the positive attributes and accomplishments of your subordinates. When necessary, criticize in private, and always in a constructive manner. This will gain you respect and make you a leader rather than just a boss. The younger troops are looking up to you, whether they realize it or not, as both a leader and a teacher, and maybe more importantly as a role model. Take care of your people and do whatever you can to make the job better for everyone.
More than just a catch phrase, the Air Force IS a great way of life. The longer you serve, the more you will come to realize it. When it finally came time for me to retire due to regulations and policies, I did so reluctantly and sadly as I knew I could no longer be part of the team. Life moves on, but as I’ve said many times in the over twenty years since I retired from the Air Force; “At the end of the day, when I close my eyes at night, I’m still wearing blue”.
At one time, the Air Force’s motto was “Aim High”. Make it your motto too. There’s a lot in those two words.
In what ways has togetherweserved.com helped you remember your military service and the friends you served with.
Like most people, TWS has allowed me to keep in touch with some of the people I’ve known and served within the past and allowed me to follow their careers after we parted ways due to eventual assignment changes or separation and retirement.
In one instance, someone I knew found me in a very unique way. I got remarried in 1977 and had one of my good friends, in the squadron act as my best man. After being reassigned to other bases, we soon lost track of each other.
As luck would have it, I was chosen the profile of the day just about the time my friend signed up with Togetherweserved.com. He saw my profile and said to himself: “Self, I know that guy” and contacted me. Strangely enough, he was living within 150 miles of us when we lived in Albuquerque and we didn’t even know it.
Thank you, Togetherweserved.
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Thanks for sharing your story. I too was in Washington State when St. Helens blew her top. We could see the mountain from my parents’ front yard. That ash was something. I still have some. I joined the USAF when living there and then returned there after my discharge in 1989. I left in 2005 for South Carolina but, will always consider Washington State as my home. It’s such a beautiful state and you can just drive down a country road to something beautiful. I do love the beaches of South Carolina as the water is much warmer than in WA state.