Winter 2015 Update

Mike Jensen

USAFA1984@gmail.com​

www.usafa84.com​

@USAFA84

 

Classmate of the quarter:  Congrats to MajGen Paul McGuillicuddy on being the first to attain this honor.  Pickle and Mary Jo were unbelievably gracious hosts when Bob Perryand I went out to the USAFA game vs Hawaii.  It was a fantastic weekend with USAFA trouncing the Rainbow Warriors 58-7.  Because of him, I survived surfing and we able to return relatively unscathed. 

 

Updates:  Steve Flach was the first to write in and won 2 free tickets to his next USAFA event (airfare not included) Hereports that they are enjoying being in Cincinnati living on TPC Rivers Bend and he is back to playing golf with his new hip.  Erik and Lily Ann are keeping him busy.  Spending time with John and Maria Walsh Sheedy. Planning Thanksgiving with JayEsmay and Roger Sit in MSP.  He is also building avionics for EELV at L3 Cincinnati Electronics.

Tom Wilson traverses the globe both with work and without. He saw Tim and Monica (Schweitz) Smith at the Navy game.  It was cold, windy and rainy, but a great time was had by all. Healso saw the great mind of Carl Farquhar there too.

John Flint is a DFW 737 FO with American Airlines, living in Irving, Texas. Also LOSA Observer. Enjoying time with his ten year old daughter, Margo. 

Scott “Kaiser” Wilhelm is knocking off some big items from his (or anyone’s) bucket list. He recently went down to Orlando to fly a P-51 with the folks at Stallion 51.  In his third year of checking off stuff (did Great White shark diving this summer, ran the bulls in Pamplona last summer and hiked the Inca Trail the year before), but really enjoyed this one.

 

Jeff Burum is doing well. Although he is finally rated 100% totally and permanently disabled with VA from Gulf War Illness; chem and biowarfare from when he was in Saudi 93-94 during UN disarmament operations and USAF Operation Southern Watch. He is in three national medical studies on GWI and actively participates in the the VA Accountability Act and VA Choice VA reform programs, which I began 5 years ago. I'm also going to leading edge therapy of uv/ozone iv blood therapy and using Medsonics. Great to hear from you, Jeff.

 

Scott Welker is now a general surgeon in Clearlake, CA.​ Married 29 years, two adult kids through college, one's an engineer and the other is headed to med school next fall.

 

Eric Wallace and his Left Hand Brewing took 3 medals for the third Great American Beer Fest in a row.  Gold for the third time for Fade to Black Export Stout (entered only three times as well), bronze for Sawtooth ale and Black Jack Porter (both medaled as far back as 1994).  We were second place for medium sized brewery of the year for the third year in a row! Fantastic!

 

Joe Sherman scratched his paragliding itch in Santa Barbara. He needed something new after trashing his knee doing the ultramarathon/ironman thing over the last few years. If any of you have that need, feel free to give him a call.  

 Jeff and Gina Hays are grandparents. Avery Margaret Roberts was born 15 Oct.  Which reminds me, on little Avery’s birthday next year, the Falcons take on New Mexico in the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair of Texas.  I know, this is probably not enough notice to get on Der Kaisers bucket list schedule, but I hope that for the rest of us, you can make the trip down to Dallas.

Jeff and Brenda Follansbee reported that son, Clark, had his T-38 dollar ride and is moving right along in UPT. Satellite business is still exciting, but they are looking forward to ski season, too. 

Paul Suarez sent a photo of his wife, Anne, with Jamie Hillsand his wife, Lynn, taking in a Arkansas Razorbacks game in Fayetteville earlier this season. They also ran into Coach Ken Hatfield.  Having moved to NW Arkansas from DC recently as a result of taking a job with Walmart's IT Dept, he searched the AOG directory to find other grads and located a classmate!  Jamie moved down here about 7 years ago after retiring from flying C-141s, and also works for "the world's largest retailer".  Anne and he were pleased to reconnect and also learned there's an active AOG chapter here--great to be in their company and other 84ers should look them up if you're traveling through the area!

 

Chris Troiano sent a photo of  Victor Haynes and himself when Captain Haynes was on a layover at Hyatt Coconut Point (in background) in Ft Myers recently.  Chris rescued him from his suffering with a 3 hour tour of SWFL backwaters.  Really, “a 3 tour? A 3 hour tour?” Well played!

 

So there you have it.  Make sure you check out www.usafa84.com for more info.  Also, I would like to hear from any and all small business owners as there is a directory coming out in the near future.  Have a great 2016 and KEEP IN TOUCH.  Jens

 

Going global in Milan!

So Steve Wacker is in Milan with his new company and one of the locals says “would you like to go to the first brewpub in Lombardy (the region of Milan)?”

Of course he takes him up on the offer.

So as soon as he walks in what does he see? (See photo below)

Good marketing!

What a great job with all the responses!  Thank you for spending the time and sending them in.

Carol (Tikijian) Thelen is enjoying her days as a family nurse practitioner, seeing individuals and families of all ages on the western edge of Baltimore. She says there's never a dull moment. Eric Furches upgraded to 737 captain with Delta. No more schnitzel and beer in Germany for him for a while, he'll be on the domestic side for the for seeable future. After serving 34 years from you so often to DOD Jerry Cummin still is serving. This time he has enrolled as a law enforcement officer and is going to training. Look for him on the streets of Pittsburgh later this year. Seahawk fan Glenn RICHARD wrote me before the Super Bowl. What a great game! I know it didn't turn out the way Glenn wanted to but it was still enjoyable to watch. That being said, Patriots fan, Bob Perry is unbearable once again. Brad Webb could not make our reunion as he was taking command of NATO special operation headquarters in minds, Belgium. Donna and he are enjoying their fourth assignment in Europe. Children, Marshall and Sarah, joined them from their studies at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Daryl "Sky" Smith continues to be the Chair of the Organizational Leadership Department at Mount St. Joseph University. Daughter, Stephanie, is a sophomore at THE Ohio State University, she has no connection to the national championship except that she is a season ticket holder and screams really loud. Daryl's quote :  "Kudos to Jens for putting on a wonderful reunion (yes, you have to include this). Daryl also gave props to Bob Chapman for "rocking" the tailgate party with his Cadet bathrobe. Garrett Thompson and his wife Melissa travelled to the wine region of chili with Greg Bauer and his wife Holly. They were celebrating the ladies 50th birthday who were born one day apart. American pilot, John Flint is enjoying flying out of Miami. Michael Harvey is enjoying the retired life along with his wife Tina who is working for HP. When their youngest daughter graduates this may, they are going to move to Herndon Virginia. Currently Mike is volunteering as assistant coach for the USAFA Forensics Team. Roger Deemer shared that when his two sons made Eagle Scout, he stepped down as scoutmaster of Boy Scout troop 105 in Lake a.m., Michigan. His wife and he celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last year. Doyle Hayes and his wife are leaving West Virginia state government and will be moving to Dover Delaware where their son Daniel class of 2012 is flying C-17's. Steve Latchford retired from active duty in 2011 and began working as a contractor for the defense threat reduction agency with Judy at USCENTCOM and Tampa. Mark Mavity is there as the CENTCOM surgeon. Joe Sherman did his first iron distance triathlon and finished under 10 hours 30 minutes, his son Spencer '15 graduates this May, heading off to RAF Lakenheath as an aircraft maintenance professional. Don Stukey and his wife Barbara have a fourth classmen in CS seven. Their daughter Sarah is a freshman in high school.Mike Lynch checked in, he is still coaching the women's soccer at Belmont Abbey College one child in college and chew in high school where Krisanne is teaching. Mike got back in the college coaching after 14 years with Pfizer. Southwest airline pilot run back married a former USAF nurse he met in oh son and are now living near Patrick Air Force Base with two sons, 1511. He flights for Southwest out of Orlando. Jeff Burum has been doing great work while struggling with some of his own medical issues suffered from chemical and biological warfare well chief of budget in Saudi Arabia 1993 to 1994 under Desert Storm and southern watch. Another Southwest pilot, Brad Robert, retired from the Air Force in 2006. Lives on the 42 acre farm raising cattle, chickens, bees and has hay.  Celebrated his 30th anniversary with his wife Wendy and I are officially empty-nesters. Brent "Mongo "Johnson just got picked up by Delta Airlines and is flying out of Salt Lake City on the Airbus 320.

Fred "FX" Hallway just got done launching the 2015 Mustang as The plant vehicle team manager of the mustang program at Ford Motor Company.

Carol (Miller) Caughey has been living in a Snowbird crash pad in Florida this year while flying the Boeing 757. Volunteering to fly polar vortex rescue missions for American Airlines. She flies missions to Barbados or St. Thomas. Don't worry about her, she'll be fine.

Glenn is been flying with Southwest for 10 years now still living in Spokane. He and his wife will be attending the 2015 Scottsdale Arabian horse show all four kids are out of the house.

And this quarters winner: Chris Havenridge,  his lovely wife and their 10 beautiful children. Top that! Or have fun trying :-)