Al Madrigal
The Tiger Photo
Al and MarySue Today
Aft UPT I, MarySue, our oldest Keith (born in NJ), and Kimberly (an OK cutie) were assigned to Loring AFB ME. I was a KC-135 copilot, aircraft commander and instructor while MarySue increased her mother-ship from two to five with the births of Michael, Christopher and Regina. We got involved with this new phenomenon then called “base closure,” hence our six-year stay in Northern Maine.
Thinking I would be shuffled to another tanker base, hopefully down South, we were quite surprised that AFMPC wanted me to go rated-sup as an electronics development engineer. More surprising was I got to choose where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. We decided on Wright-Paterson AFB OH where I was a support equipment engineer for the A-10 SPO and eventually the program manager for the INS suite that went on the A-10. We increased our baby count by two boys, Matthew and Justin.
Well, MPC said enough of that fun and I had to go fly. Luckily I didn’t take the E-3 assignment and elected to fly the EC-135 Airborne Command Post (Looking Glass) at Offutt AFB NE. Although at Offutt for only two years, I quickly developed my 8.3-hour flying butt and we managed to have a “cornhusker” girl, Catherine, before we attended ACSC at Maxwell AFB AL. Again, thinking I would be assigned after school to a staff job at SAC HQ or the Pentagon, MPC said you have to fly and what are your first three choices, to which I said “Pease-Pease-Pease.”
We got assigned to Pease AFB NH (doesn’t hurt knowing the assignment officer who you went to college and was assigned with at Loring). I was a flight commander, instructor/evaluator, chief of Stan/Eval , and operations officer for the 509th Air Refueling Squadron. Pease was our greatest assignment, at least that’s what our kids say. Speaking of kids, we had two daughters born there, Mary and Lauren. Then, this “base closure” or BRAC issue reared its ugly head. Five years at Pease and just nine months short of 20 years service, we had to move.
So, I moved the 509th’s aircraft and some crews to 416th Bomb Wing, Griffiss AFB NY in July 1990. I was the 41st AREFS ops officer trying to stand-up a second tanker squadron, in the middle of converting to the KC-135R model and renovating the squadron building, when Desert Shield “hit the fan.” Somehow we got through it and had a baby girl, Theresa, born just before Desert Storm kicked off. With the demise of SAC, MAC and TAC and then, the final nail in the coffin, Griffiss on the next BRAC list, you can surmise that this five-year assignment was our worst.
Basically, MPC said find your own job or retire. Luckily, I got hired on by an ex-tanker toad who was in charge of all AFReps (liaisons) to the FAA. Also, we were fortunate to represent the Northeast Area and had our office in Burlington MA versus Queens NY. This gave us the opportunity to put down roots in New England, the area we and the kids wanted to retire to. Our last four years in the AF working with the FAA was a great experience.
Just before the start of retirement and before I turned fifty, we lost our son Christopher (24) in a tragic accident at Sheppard AFB TX. Our plans went out the window and priorities changed in an instant. The Mrs. and I have had our bumps, aches and pains but we never regretted one moment of our time in the Air Force. We now sit back and enjoy seeing our children raising their own families while spoiling our grandchildren (15) to no end.
Thinking I would be shuffled to another tanker base, hopefully down South, we were quite surprised that AFMPC wanted me to go rated-sup as an electronics development engineer. More surprising was I got to choose where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. We decided on Wright-Paterson AFB OH where I was a support equipment engineer for the A-10 SPO and eventually the program manager for the INS suite that went on the A-10. We increased our baby count by two boys, Matthew and Justin.
Well, MPC said enough of that fun and I had to go fly. Luckily I didn’t take the E-3 assignment and elected to fly the EC-135 Airborne Command Post (Looking Glass) at Offutt AFB NE. Although at Offutt for only two years, I quickly developed my 8.3-hour flying butt and we managed to have a “cornhusker” girl, Catherine, before we attended ACSC at Maxwell AFB AL. Again, thinking I would be assigned after school to a staff job at SAC HQ or the Pentagon, MPC said you have to fly and what are your first three choices, to which I said “Pease-Pease-Pease.”
We got assigned to Pease AFB NH (doesn’t hurt knowing the assignment officer who you went to college and was assigned with at Loring). I was a flight commander, instructor/evaluator, chief of Stan/Eval , and operations officer for the 509th Air Refueling Squadron. Pease was our greatest assignment, at least that’s what our kids say. Speaking of kids, we had two daughters born there, Mary and Lauren. Then, this “base closure” or BRAC issue reared its ugly head. Five years at Pease and just nine months short of 20 years service, we had to move.
So, I moved the 509th’s aircraft and some crews to 416th Bomb Wing, Griffiss AFB NY in July 1990. I was the 41st AREFS ops officer trying to stand-up a second tanker squadron, in the middle of converting to the KC-135R model and renovating the squadron building, when Desert Shield “hit the fan.” Somehow we got through it and had a baby girl, Theresa, born just before Desert Storm kicked off. With the demise of SAC, MAC and TAC and then, the final nail in the coffin, Griffiss on the next BRAC list, you can surmise that this five-year assignment was our worst.
Basically, MPC said find your own job or retire. Luckily, I got hired on by an ex-tanker toad who was in charge of all AFReps (liaisons) to the FAA. Also, we were fortunate to represent the Northeast Area and had our office in Burlington MA versus Queens NY. This gave us the opportunity to put down roots in New England, the area we and the kids wanted to retire to. Our last four years in the AF working with the FAA was a great experience.
Just before the start of retirement and before I turned fifty, we lost our son Christopher (24) in a tragic accident at Sheppard AFB TX. Our plans went out the window and priorities changed in an instant. The Mrs. and I have had our bumps, aches and pains but we never regretted one moment of our time in the Air Force. We now sit back and enjoy seeing our children raising their own families while spoiling our grandchildren (15) to no end.