Crewed 16's for 4 year active duty then transfered to the Air Guard in Tulsa, OK while attending Oklahoma State University. Left the guard after graduating with an aerospace engineering degree and going to work for Cessna Aircraft designing business jets. Currently work as a specialist in systems engineering developing system architectures and new technology.
This was the best jet I ever crewed. The thing would not break. In fact you could take bad avionics from another aircraft, put them in 507 and she'd run fine. Got high flyer for the 388th in '93.
In the fun of Saudi rotations, we kept switching jets with the 34th FS. I traded in an awsome jet (507) for an average jet (431) but she was good. I crewed her in the desert and stayed with her when I came back until I shpped out for the Kune.
Never have I worked harder to keep a jet in the air. Did good until both leading edge flaps fractured during BIT check on an extremely cold day 2 days before Christmas. Engineering rep attributed it to residual stress in the flaps. Took 3 months to get new LEF's. In the mean time she was raped bad. Me and Brad got her back in the air in a week when the new parts arrived though, raping the next can jet in the meantime. She also flew code 1 the first flight!
SSgt. Stephen Eddy
USAF 4 FS