 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Checkpoints Spring 2004 Class Scribe Bob Kay 40411 Tesoro Lane Palmdale, CA 93551 Home: (661) 274-2201 Work: (661) 824-6426 Email: Robert.kay@baesystems.com Greetings '78ers... Starting off on a somber note is an update on Ron Rosepink. Thanks to Al Wallace '80 and the AOG for publishing Al's article in last quarter's Checkpoints. A coworker used to fly with gliders with Ron regularly and has been letting me know the latest. Acounty sheriff's deputy/pilot inthe local area hasbeen assigned to the case and plans to thoroughly pursue it, to include more search activity. There have been several witnesses that saw Ron near ridge level in different areas up to 5:30 or so on the day he disappeared. The deputy has been asking for any info from local pilots. He's also planning on more searches. I've been told that this guy is very sincere, and even plans on coming out on weekends to watch and study paragliders. I'll keep you all posted. Special thanks to our own Kais Kaiser who made last quarter's article happen. As always, Kais wrote with style and aplomb that are truly unique... many thanks there 'ol buddy... great reporting on the reunion. Well, retirement was the thrill of a lifetime back in December. Steve Slick did, in fact, make it out and did a wonderful job running the ceremony. He's the 5121 Mission Support Group Commander at Dover air patch and really hasn't changed much over the years (looked pretty trim in that flight suit he did). It was a blessing that I'll never forget... no matter how senile I get. All seven kids were there to include my son-in-law. Below is a shot of the Slicker himself (to the left of my lovely bride).., having just "gonged" me. Thanks again my friend!  If you have a few minutes, you must checkout Cliff Huff's creation of our web site (http://usafa78-is-great.org/) ... you won't believe it. Cliff has done nothing short of spectacular work getting this thing up and running. If you would be interested in running the home page for your squadron, please e-mail Cliff at: cch@sei.cmu.edu or just thank him for all the hours of work he's put in on this. Thanks Cliff!Since I haven't been receiving much info from you guys, I had to scrounge as much info as possible. The notable exception was Rick Serefoss who was kind enough to send mean e-mail today as a matter of fact. Rick still lives in Tehachapi, which is about 50 miles from here, and works as a motivational speaker and aerospace/ space consultant. He says he travels enough to pay the bills (that and retired 0-6 pay helps) and recently partnered with Bob "Waldo" Waldman '90, who was featured in last quarters Checkpoints. Also, Rick was just selected as chief judge for the X Prize competition. The competition will award $10 million to the first team that puts three people 62.5 miles up (aka space), safely returns them to earth and repeats the feat two weeks later in the same ship. I personally have seen Burt Rutan's entry at work in Mojave CA. Thanks for the message Rick and best wishes on your endeavors. Well, '78 continues to be more than great. Forgive me if this is old news but the two-star list came out awhile back and four of our classmates were on it! Congrats to Roger Burg, Director for Nuclear Policy and Arms Control for the National Security Council; Goldy Goldfein, Director of Operational Capability Requirements for AF/XO; Ed Rice, OSD staff, and Steve Sargeant, C-5 in lovely Baghdad. Further, the newest one-star list had no less than six (out of 35) guys on it... pretty amazing. More congrats to: Don Alston, 31st Space Wing Commander at Malmstrom; Hawk Carlisle, also on the AF/XO staff as Chief Program Integration; Punch Moulton, Vice Director of Operations for NORAD; Joe Mudd, 36th Air Base Wing Commander, Guam; Joe Reheiser, 314th Airlift Wing Commander; and Joe Reynes, Gen Abazaid's exec at CENTCCOM. Congrats again to all of you! With this latest group, we now have 34 '78 flag officers. I still think that has got to be a record for any USAFA class.., wish I had time to research it. Think '78 could turn out to be the modern "class that the stars fell on"... we'll see, just a hunch. Only a few moves to report: Mike Snodgrass took over the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf, Bob Steel became the commander of the USAFE Theater Air and Space Ops Center, Jay Lindell is also at HQ USAFE as the Director of Logistics, Kevin Kennedy is STRATCOM Deputy Director for Ops and Logistics, and Key Sabol is AMC Deputy Director for Plans and Programs at Scott after his wing king job at Grand Forks. Well gents, I haven't really run out of space but have run out of news. Consider this a moderate plea (complete with minor whimpering) for news and info. Phone, e-mail, carrier pigeon... whatever. Please let me hear from you or you're stuck with whatever drivel I can come up with along with several pictures of my family (think l threatened that before). May you have a blessed summer and we'll "talk" to you all next time. '78 is great
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Class of 1978 - United States Air Force Academy as of 21 Apr 2018 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||