Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge WOO HOO!!! I'm a civilian!!!!

After 20 years and 8 months, I am officially retired from the US Air Force as of 0001hrs this morning!!!!
It was a good ride. I went to some amazing places and had opportunities not available to me otherwise, but there was definitely a new energy in my step when I woke up this morning to be sure.
I think I'm going to enjoy being a civilian....

Congrats on the retirement

welcome back...and Thanks for your service!!!

Mike,
Ron and Rob nailed it - Congrats and Thanks

Hope you find civilian life as rewarding as the USAF. Enjoy your retirement, you have earned it.

And thank you.

Good for you Mike. And thanks.

Umm, congrats, but let me correct you here. What you MEANT to say, is that as of 12:01am you were a civilian, since thats how we civies say it, unless you're in Europe...

Welcome to the "Real" world...

Congratulations Cruiser. Now you will have lots of time for riding and rallys It takes a special person to put up with the military bs. First off ya need to adjust that time thing. You officially retired at 1 second after midnight, not 0001 hrs.

Congrats and thanks for your service.

Thank you for your service, let your new chapter begin!

Michael,

Good for you!

Enjoy your new freedom.

Congrats, I retired from the USCG. Ten years later I still have nightmares of not being ready for inspection. Good luck.

Larry

Congratulations!!! BTW, my old Army reserve unit was stationed on SAFB, around the back side of the runway, where all the Blackhawks used to sit. I was there from 86-94...Like you said, it was a good ride, I still kind of miss it. Now go out, grow your hair, beard, whatever, and enjoy the fruits of your valued service to our country. You deserve it, as all veterans do.

P.S. No need to spit shine your tires, just keep the shiny side up, the sticky side down.

Congratulations! and thank you very much for your service!

Soren

Congratulations Mike and from a former fellow USAFer, thank you.

Retired AF? You are now officially a civilian. The Marines always told me I might as well be a civilian and that was when I WAS active duty.


You know...Perceptions...

A photo of an Army infantry man standing in the rain says...

"This Sucks"

An Army Airborne type standing in the rain says..."I like the way this Sucks"

An Army Ranger stands in the rain and says.."I wish it would rain even harder"

An Army aviator flying above the ground views the rain and says..."Man it sure must suck down there"

And then the AF guy looking out of his office at the rain says...."This sucks ...now the cable is out!"

Congratulations on your retirement and welcome to the world at large.

Congrats on your retirement, now ride man. Thanks for your service.

Dave

I became one of those civilians back in '84 after 10 years in the USAF. My husband, Habuba, retired from the AF in '88. Now we get our AF fix when we visit our son's (who are both in the AF). I still miss it too. It was weird going to their AF graduations, being back at Lackland. It has changed some, and yet, still the same. Go figure. Enjoy riding, we do.

AmyLee

Congratulations! USAF here too, 1976-1980.
Thanks for your service!

welcome back to civi street cruiser, enjoy

Thanks for your service Mike,

And a well deserved retirement.

I received a fairly lengthy e mail from a young man yesterday, he's an Air Force IED specialist, a "bomb boy", did a tour in Iraq and is now doing a second tour in Afghanistan. Anyhow, he was recently involved in a touchy rescue mission where the Taliban made life very interesting for a few hours. His account was incitefull, humorous and gripping. I've known him since he was 11 or 12.

I e mailed "mom" and among other things asked how she was doing. Of course she awaits his safe return, but also is concerned how he'll transition to the relative boredom of everyday life. I told her, knowing the young man, I truly believe he'll be fine and will importantly have his buddies to lean on if need be.

Please don't hijack this into a "pro/con" debate.

jwh

Thank you for your service. Because of you, I am free...

indeed thank you and enjoy yourself here on out


Frank

Congrats from a former Army DAT. As a rule we never liked you Air Force types, but when we got the chance we loved your chow. Way better than ours.

Go Ride.

I always thought the sound of fighters overhead was the sound of freedom. Congratulations on making it to retirement and thanks for serving this great country. Now, ride like the wind.

Congratulations and THANKS.

I wouldn't trade my four years in the navy for anything. Since I started my current career at 37 years old, I almost wish I'd stayed in for 20 years (almost).

Thank you Michael for your service to our country.
Take some time for yourself and rediscover America.
Mike

Here's a story about a real Air Force warrior: Guy Garruthers (might have spelling wrong) used to fly co-pilot for me on Eastern DC-9s. He graduated from the academy third in his class and was so brilliant he was given the option to work with Dr. Edward Teller, the father of the Hydrogen Bomb. He declined - he wanted to fly fighters in Viet Nam.

Fast forward to Viet Nam. Guy is shot down on a mission and comes home to heal and get some R&R in Tampa. Goes back to Nam, and although one hand was not totally healed, talks his way back into the cockpit.

Two weeks after he left home, his wife is confronted by two Air Force officers at her front door informing her that her husband was shot down. She laughed, and told them that she was well aware of that, and furthermore he had already been home, and left two weeks ago.

Their reply was, "We know Mrs. Garruthers, he was shot down again."

Guy spent 5 1/2 years in the Hanoi Hilton. He was a strapping guy, and never gave an inch and as a result he had the ****** tortured out of him for 5 1/2 years. He never gave in. His wife was very active with the wives groups of prisoners.

Eastern Air Lines had a fantastic policy in which we offered any returning POW a job at Eastern, and as a consequence we wound up with over a dozen of these incredible heroes flying our aircraft.

Guy's story was featured in Reader's Digest about 25 years ago. Thanks to all of you guys who served and kept us safe.

Michael, have a long, joyful and healthy retirement - you earned it pal!

Now if Roberta shows up on this thread, I'm going to buy a ticket to Italia and go over and slap the $hit out of him!

congrats on your retirement, thank you for your service

Now ... get a job ya bum

Best of luck on your next adventure, and above all, thank you for your service.

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Like a bird on the wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free...(Leonard Cohen)

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Hank

Mike,
Congrats! I have a brother who served 20 and some change then retired from the AF. We were 3 yrs apart in age and I joined the Navy about 2 months before he left service, go figure. One thing I will say for the AF, the personnel get all the college they can actually stand to take!

Fast forward 18yrs and 6 months and I am getting close to the end myself. Though Uncle Sam sees fit to send me back to Iraq one more time prior to the end. Of all the luck!!! Anyway, enjoy and be safe. Hit some of the Rally's with these guys, they are great company! Spend quality time with the people closest to you! You deserve it!

Again, Congrats!