November 6, 2017 update

I failed to mention in our last issue, the retirement of one of our very own, LtGen Sam Cox.  Sam and Tammy had a distinguished 38 year career.  (That is not a slight to anyone else 🙂)  Sam  commanded at the squadron, wing, and operations center levels. During his tenure as the 436th Airlift Wing commander at Dover Air Force Base, Del., he deployed to Southwest Asia as deputy director of Mobility Forces supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Shortly after, General Cox was the commandant of cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., responsible for cadet military training and Airmanship education, supervising cadet life activities, and providing support to facilities and logistics for more than 4,000 cadets and 300 Air Force and civilian personnel. General Cox was the commander, 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center), Scott Air Force Base, Ill. He served as the director, Strategy, Policy, Programs, and Logistics (TCJ5/4), USTRANSCOM, Scott AFB, Ill. Prior to his current assignment, he was the director, Operations and Plans (TCJ3), USTRANSCOM, Scott AFB, Ill.  

Still serving in his distinguished career is LtGen Jeff Lofgren.  The Lofgren’s are still at HQ Supreme Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk VA -- the NATO HQ in the US. They have been extended for another year and Jeff and his staff are busy trying to reform NATO command structure.  He was able to meet with current Superintendent, Lt Gen Jay Silveria, for 30 minutes with his nephew, who is considering serving. He also ran into John “Oldman” Sieverling in Bass Pro shop that weekend,  

Photo 1984winter17-1 

RogerDeemer had the youngest of his 3 children graduate from high school this past June just beforehe and wife (Amanda)  celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary.  

Ray Meinhart came out for the Army game and was able to visit family.  He event witnessed the great game plan of the Army team versus or Falcons, a 21-0 thrashing.  

Scott (Der Kaiser) Wilhelm was named Federal Aviation Manager of the Year for 2017 by ICAP (Interagency Committee for Aviation Policy).  Congrats to Kaiser!  

Rich Call is still living in Anchorage and flying for UPS. He has spent the last 3 years as a sim instructor as well as flying the line but now has gone back to just flying.   They, too, have a granddaughter so they spend as much time visiting her down, in Homer, as they can.  It's a 5 hour drive or 1:10 in our 172 so that's a no brainer.  Rich has also issued an invitation for any 84 to come up and say "hello!"  Thanks, Rich  

Daryl "Sky" Smith got to hang out with Maj General Dondi Costin (USAFA 86).  Dondi is the Air Force Chief Chaplains.  Dondi and Daryl were in BSU together at the Zoo.  Dondi is doing a great job of caring for the spiritual needs of our troops and showing the importance of spiritual values in forming the character of our force. He also saw Jeff Wesley ( fellow Ali Baba 40 Thief).  Jeff is a 737 pilot for Southwest (lives in Tuscon), and was staying over at one of Southwest's newest airports, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky.  Check out Daryl's online aviation website, www.DoctorAviation.com  He also wrote a blog about our entering USAFA 37 years ago.  https://www.doctoraviation.com/air-force-academy-class-of-1984-enters-june-23-1980/   I also hear that Casa Bonita is still looking for him and a few more, like John Yelle for cliff jumping nto the pool below even though it was about 35 years ago.  

Photo 1984winter17-2 

 Andy Klein is an international 737 pilot for American at DFW.  He became a grandpa for the first time on August 11!  His oldest daughter, Jessica, had Magnolia Lynn Beach. (Maggie). Also back flying is the aviator herself, Barb Huggett Walker who is with United. When she is not golfing or doing acro yoga with me, she worksand had a layover in Dallas with Linda Wittman Green (American airlines) and stayed at her newly built luxury yurt.  (yes, yurt)  Also in the 737 with United and living here in the COS is Bill Anonsen. 

Photo 1984winter17-3 

 Our own Jeff Burum is Running for Congress in CA 26, Ventura County 

He is still fighting off Gulf War Illness from the chem and bio weapons with pain management, phlebotomies monthly, and nerve pain blockers. You can support him at www.jeffreyburumforcongress.com  

Scott Welker is making an interesting transition. He is the new surgeon for the Bosley center in San Francisco. Yes, he is making a living doing hair restoration surgery. I hear Matt Johnson has him on retainer, just in case, and asked that the Zoomie discounts be in force.  Scott says his wife is still tolerating him after 31 years.Their son, Bennett is a Mech Engineer at the Holley Corp. (the carburetor people) in Bowling Green, KY, and daughter Olivia is a 2nd year at Scott's other alma mater, USUHS med school, and an ensign in the USN.  

  

Dan Morgan went from nearly eight years at Boeing Seattle (2006-2014) conducting intensive flight test on the 787 and flight deck design work for the KC-46 replacement tanker, to taking a little well-deserved break. 

And with deepest sadness that I must inform you that the beautiful, strongwife of Ron Beck, Janice Susan (McKay) Beck, passed away 2 Aug 17.  Janice had been battling an illness for many months, but passed suddenly and expectedly that day.  Janice was an active duty USAF flight nurse stationed at Osan AB, ROK whereRon was flying the OV-10A when they met in 1988. They were married in her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts on 14 July 1990.   She was the youngest of nine children.  

 She left the AF when they could not get a joint assignment at McChord AFB, WA.  They then went to Moody AFB, GA, and Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ wheretheir first child Eric was born in 1999.  We left the active duty, moved to her hometown, Ron entered the AF Reserves at the 706th Fighter Squadron, NAS JRB New Orleans.  Ron entered training for Southwest Airlines in Mar 2000, and we eventually moved to our current home near Patrick AFB, FL in 2001.  At her urging, they adopted their second son Alex from the Ukraine in 2004, completing their family.  Ron, on behalf of the class of 1984, our best wishes for sustained strength, to you and your family. 

Thanks for all the support. Don't forget to send in your updates for next issue.  If you don't see your name in here, it's your turn!   JENS 

  

  

Mike Cornejo saw Garrett Thompson in Vegas after Carrot Top show and Rob Polumbo took him fishing in Miami in late September. I’ll follow up with a couple pics when home.

Global domination!

Was sent this from Oklahoma City, where LeftHand Brewing is more popular than OU football 

Winter Update

Pete Eunice is in Pueblo training future Air Force aviators.  Experiencing new excitement every day and loves the job. Tom Osteen moved over from Kaiser to take the CIO job at the California Dental Association in Sacramento. He spoke in Las Vegas in February at the annual HealthCare IT Conference.  Topic was Leading with Honor (can you dig it?)  Phil Long with an update from Seattle.He married Marta Rivera last March, and they are expecting a BABY; due in mid-November. “When many of my classmates are expecting their first grandchildren, we’re expecting our own first child. I say: better late than never!”  I agree!  Phil is 737 Captain for Alaska Airlines.  Marta is an Internal Medicine Physician, soon to be stay at home mom, at least for a while. 

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