FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- With a combined 536 years of service, 21 Soldiers and one civilian retired during Fort Rucker's quarterly retirement ceremony April 28 at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum.
Col. Richard T. Calchera, deputy assistant commandant, U.S. Army Reserve, hosted the ceremony. He was assisted by Sgt. Maj. Dave Ewing, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence G3 sergeant major.
A short write-up on each retiree follows.
LT. COL. JOHN MCMAHAN
McMahan, assistant dean of the U.S. Army School of Aviation Medicine, entered military service in 1989 as an aerial intelligence specialist. He was commissioned in 1993. He said the highlight of his career was deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom-1 as a medical evacuation executive officer and pilot-in-command in the 498th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) organized under the Marine Aircraft Group-39, 3rd Marine Air Wing, 1st Marine Division. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three children. They plan to reside in Chatsworth, Georgia.
LT. COL. CHRISTOPHER YUSKAITIS
Yuskaitis, 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group deputy commander, entered military service in 1986 as an infantry Soldier. In 1992, he was rebranched and earned a regular commission into the Aviation Branch. He said the highlight of his career was advising on all aspects of communication to a U.S. Navy four-star admiral NATO commander during the Crimean crisis of 2014. He plans to work in space command and control operations.
CW4 HAROLD COGHLAN
Coghlan, B Company, 1st Battalion, 212th Aviation Regiment flight commander, instructor pilot and examiner, entered military service in 1978 as a warrant officer candidate. He said the highlights of his career were being a special operations pilot, as well as a Spanish instructor pilot in support of the Central and South America Aviator training mission at Fort Rucker while flying 22,580 hours. He and his wife, Patricia, have two children. They plan to reside in Birmingham.
CW4 GREGG GOULDING
Goulding, D Co., 1-14th Avn. Regt. instructor pilot, entered military service in 1991 as a communications operator. In 1999 he was selected for warrant officer flight training. He said the highlight of his career was serving as a standardization instructor pilot in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He and his wife, Michelle, have three children. They plan to reside in Enterprise.
CW4 RYAN STARK
Stark, A Co., 1-145th Avn. Regt. senior academic instructor, entered military service in 1991 as a combat engineer. He was selected for warrant officer flight training in 1999. He said the highlight of his career was being a senior instructor with the Aviation warrant officer advanced course helping guide future senior warrant officer leaders. He and his wife, Tricia, have four children. They plan to reside in Huntsville.
CW3 JAMES CARROLL
Carroll, A Co., 1-145th Avn. Regt. unmanned aircraft instructor, air cavalry leaders course, entered military service in 1993 as an infantryman. In 1997, he became an AH-64 Apache repairer and, in 2007, he became an unmanned operations technician warrant officer. He said the highlight of his career was being an instructor for the air cavalry leaders course at Fort Rucker. He and his wife, Susan, have five children and three grandchildren. They plan to reside in Troy.
CW3 BRAD POSEY
Posey, B Co., 1-13th Avn. Regt. standardization instructor pilot, entered military service in 1994 as a scout helicopter mechanic. He was selected for warrant officer flight training in 2006. He said the highlight of his career was being able to meet and marry his wife, Casey. They have two children and plan to reside in Enterprise.
CW3 ROBERT FOOR II
Foor, A Co., 1-223rd Avn. Regt. platoon leader and CH-47F instructor pilot, entered military service in 1995 as a field artillery mechanic. He was selected for warrant officer flight training in 2007. He said the highlight of his career was being a pilot in command and instructor pilot in both the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and CH-47F Chinook. He and his wife, Cheri, have to children. They plan to reside in Enterprise.
CW3 ROBERT NESS
Ness, F Co., 1-212th Avn. Regt. chief of standardization, entered military service in 1995 as a medical laboratory technician. He was selected for warrant officer flight training in 2002. He said the highlight of his career was the unwavering support of his wife, Sarah, and their two children. They plan to reside in the Fort Rucker area.
CW3 MICHAEL MERRELL
Merrell, E Co., 1-212th Avn. Regt. instructor pilot, entered military service in 1997 as a field artillery cannon crewmember. He was selected for warrant officer flight training in 2006. He said the highlight of his career was being an instructor pilot in support of USAACE. He and his wife, Kari, have five children and two grandchildren. They plan to reside in Wichita Falls, Texas.
CW3 CHADD OSWALT
Oswalt, 1-212th Avn. Regt. UH-72A Lakota standardization instructor pilot, entered military service in 1997 as a motor transport operator. He was selected for warrant officer flight training in 2005. He said the highlight of his career was being selected by the USAACE commanding general in 2014 to serve on the initial five-man team responsible for transitioning Fort Rucker's more than 400 instructor pilot force from the TH-67A to the UH-72A. He and his wife, Sarah, have two children. They plan to reside in Wicksburg.
CW3 JOSHUA ARONACK
Aronack, 1-212th Avn. Regt. instructor pilot for the UH-60A/L Black Hawk, entered military service in 1996 as a chemical operations specialist. He was selected for officer flight training in 2006. He said the highlight of his career was being a pilot in command and instructor pilot in the UH-60A/L. He and his wife, Sarah, have two children. They plan to reside wherever opportunities take them.
CW2 LENNON CHANDLER
Chandler, D Co., 1-13th Avn. Regt. chief of standardization, entered military service in 1994 as a reconnaissance Marine and became an infantry Soldier in 1997. He was selected for flight school in 2010. He said the highlight of his career was directly affecting the battlefield in the fight against terrorism -- supporting the African and Middle Eastern areas of operation. He and his wife, Nancy, have two children. They plan to reside in Enterprise.
CW2 MICHAEL DAVIS
Davis, Fort Rucker Criminal Investigation Command Drug Suppression Team chief, entered military service in 1997 as a military police officer. He was selected for Army Criminal Investigation School in 2007. He said the highlight of his career was being assigned to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Security Team in support of missions in the U.S. and overseas. He and his wife, Jamie Marie, have three children. They plan to reside in New Brockton.
1ST SGT. KENNETH GREENE
Greene, 365th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion in Jackson, Mississippi, operations NCO in charge, entered military service in 1982 as an automated logistics specialist. He said the highlights of his career were marrying his wife, Caludine, and having three children. They plan to reside in Columbia, South Carolina.
MASTER SGT. TODD YULE
Yule, 7th Special Forces Group engineer NCOIC at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, entered military service in 1990 as an infantryman. In 1996, he transitioned to become a special forces engineer. He has two children. He and his wife, Wendy, plan to reside in Florida.
1ST SGT. DANNIE WILLIAMS
Williams, Warrant Officer Career College Headquarters, Headquarters Company first sergeant, entered military service in 1993 as an infantryman. He said the highlights of his career were marrying his wife, Missy, and having three children. They plan to reside in Middleburg, Florida.
SGT. 1ST CLASS JAMES MASON
Mason, 1-13th Avn. Regt. S1 NCOIC, entered military service in 1991. He said the highlights of his career were marrying his wife, Jodie, having seven children and being able to serve in the Army with his daughter. They plan to reside in Enterprise.
SGT. 1ST CLASS KEVIN ARMSTRONG
Armstrong, Knox operations and airfield NCOIC, entered military service in 1997 as a Black Hawk tactical repairer. He said the highlight of his career was managing the maintenance program on the fleet of UH-60s while being an integral part of the only air ambulance company in the Republic of Korea. He and his wife, Gina, plan to reside in Daphne.
SGT 1ST CLASS SANTIAGO RAMIREZ
Ramirez, A Troop, 1-212th Avn. Regt. first sergeant, entered military service in 1996 as a Black Hawk repairer. He said the highlights of his career were molding the Aviation Branch through mentorship of initial entry officers and enlisted Soldiers and constantly having the support of his family to do what he loved to do. He and his wife, Sylvia, plan to reside in Texas.
SGT 1ST CLASS JOHNNY HOLLEY
Holley, Aviation life support equipment supervisor for the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade at K-16 Air Base, Republic of Korea, entered military service in 1988 as an M60 armor crewman in the Alabama Army National Guard. He entered active-duty in 1997 as an aircraft structural repairer. He said the highlight of his career was marrying his wife, Angelica, and having two children. They plan to reside in Hartford.
JEFFREY BABINE
Babine, visual information specialist with the training division, device branch, entered civilian service in 1984 at Fort Rucker as a technical equipment illustrator. He said the highlights of his career were all of the people who took him under their wing to counsel and guide him in all areas, as well as the friendships he developed over the years. He and his wife, Elizabeth, plan to reside in Ozark.
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