Chief Master Sergeant Robert C. Brown, USAF Retired – 1954-1983
I was born in Evansville, IN on October 9, 1936. In 1954, upon graduating from high school in California, I joined the Air Force and was assigned to Lackland AFB, Texas for basic training. I was very happy to be wearing Air Force blue, and excited about what assignments were waiting for me which for the next 29 years ended up to be:
Nov 1954 Loring AFB, Maine Aug 1964 Kadena AB, Okinawa
Nov 1957 Kunsan AB, Korea Jul 1968 Langley AFB, Virginia
Dec 1958 Caribou AFS, Maine Sep 1971 Andrews AFB,Wash D.C.
Jun 1962 Loring AFB, Maine Apr 1976 Lindsey AB, Germany
Jun 1963 Kunsan AB, Korea Jun 1979 Vandenberg AFB, California
After a short stint as a clerk typist, I spent thirteen years in Maine, Korea, and Okinawa as an air policeman. I met my first wife in Maine, and we managed to have four children and raised them during most of the above assignments. With many temporary assignments to schools, military exercises and two tours to Korea, when my family was relocated to Connecticut and Illinois respectfully, my wife did most of the raising. Our first house, in Maine, was a 35 X 8 foot trailer – whew.!!! My mother visited us during that time and I don’t remember where we put her. When we moved into a 60 X 10 foot trailer we thought we had moved into a castle. Although most of my air police duty was in security, I managed to gain a little law enforcement, investigations, and instructor skills along the way. Making Staff Sergeant (E-5) in 1960 was one of the special moments as some enlisted ranks were frozen for ten years during the 50s and 60s.
The four years on Okinawa were the family’s first overseas experience. Activities were galore for all family members and we were all engaged. My wife and I taught conversational English in junior and senior high schools, and the kids were involved in everything it seemed. Through this experience our whole family gained new friendships and learned about a different culture, benefits which have stayed with us through the years. These were also the Vietnam War years and although we were thousands of miles from the action, constant combat air strikes were launched from Kadena, and the whole island was actively involved in the effort. I instructed security policemen in skills I had learned through Marine Corps, Army Special Forces, and Navy Seal training exercises. During one of these exercises I sailed aboard the USS Perch, a WWII submarine. When the loud speaker said “dive, dive, dive”, you never heard such screeching and cracking goings on in that old boat. The navy crew had to stand back and kick the levers to make them work. It was an exciting experience but I sure was glad to get back to port. Before leaving Okinawa I made Technical Sergeant (E-6) and retrained into the Education and Training career field, which started me on a very new and exciting career track.
My next assignment, in 1968, was to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia and the 48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (ADC), my first flying unit. I was in charge of the training control section. Being a member of a flying squadron was an all new Air Force experience for me. Our commander made us all feel like “fighter pilots,” and I learned first hand what it takes to keep planes in the air. It was there I earned my MSgt (E-7) stripes.
In 1971, I received a special assignment as Assistant Training NCO for the 89th Consolidated Maintenance Squadron (MAC), home of “Air Force One” at Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. While at Andrews I retrained as a First Sergeant and was assigned to the 98th Military Airlift Squadron, the unit responsible for flying Air Force One. I flew on two Air Force Ones (without the President) and when I was promoted to Senior Master Sergeant (E-8), my mentor advised me to leave that plush job after which I was assigned as First Sergeant to the larger and new 89th Field Maintenance Squadron.
Five years later I was assigned to Wiesbaden, Germany and the 1836th Electronic Installations Squadron (AFCS). Members of this unit installed and maintained communications equipment all over Europe and the Middle East, so my travels included Italy, Spain, England, Holland and all over Germany. My most memorable moment was greeting Toni as she came off a plane in Frankfurt, Germany to be with me. We were high school sweethearts in California in the 50s and we were getting back together after 23 years - now that was a day!!!!!
In 1979 my last assignment sent us to Vandenberg AFB, California, where I was the First Sergeant of the 392nd Communications Group (AFCS). During this assignment I was named Vandenberg First Sergeant of the Year and in 1981 I was promoted to Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) and selected as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Commander, 1st Strategic Aerospace Division (SAC), one of the best assignments of my Air Force career. I had gone full circle having started in the Strategic Air Command, providing security for alert B-36s, B-52s, and KC-135s and ended my career back in SAC in the space and missile business at base where they launch satellites and strategic missiles.
After a retirement trip to Hawaii, in 1983, I spent 13 years in the travel industry, first as a travel agent, then branch manager, and finally human resource manager of Your Travel Center in Santa Barbara. In 1995, and for the next seven years, I returned to Vandenberg in civil service as a Relocation Specialist for the Family Support Center. In 2003 both Toni and I retired and I became a true “triple dipper”. Four days after retiring we moved to Virginia. Between us we have 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.