UA69ers IN THE MILTARY     
     
HONORING OUR UA69 MILITARY CLASSMATES

This page is devoted devoted to our classmates who have served in the military, and also to the children of any of our classmates who may currently be in the armed forces.

If you have served in the military, or if your son or daughter is enlisted, please complete the form below and tell us when and where and what branch, and we'll share that information on this page. Thank you!

   
      
DID YOU SERVE IN THE MILITARY? If so, please complete the form to be added to this page.
  
MATT BACON - US ARMY

November, 1971 - November, 1977

Drafted. Basic at Fort Knox, active cadre duty at USMAPS (West Point Prep School), active duty Reserve at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. Honorable discharge as Specialist 5, November 1977.

BERTA BENALCAZAR HOWARD - US ARMY

1976 - 1979

Served as Dental officer in Korea and At Ft. Belvoir Virginia.

DOUG BRANDT - US ARMY

June 1971 to January 1973

Basic Training: Ft. Knox, KY. Advanced Individual Training: Fort Polk, LA. Stationed in Aschaffenburg, Germany from June 1971 to January 1973. Rank upon discharge: Specialist 4

MARK BRIGHT - US AIR FORCE (Deceased)

Major Mark Bright learned to fly a glider first, and then soloed in a Cessna. He was active in the Civil Air Patrol while he was in high school, and then attended Parks College in St. Louis, Missouri where he was in ROTC and graduated with an Aeronautical Business Degree. He went into the USAF and learned to fly fighter jets, the T-38 trainer and the F-4 fighter jet. He served in Vietnam and was stationed in Udon, Thailand and flew combat missions in an F-4 fighter jet. He served in the Reserve USAF and flew F-16 out of Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He retired a Major in the USAF. Mark Bright was also a commercial airline pilot for Northwest Airlines. Mark passed away in 2007.

MIKE BROWN - US MARINE CORPS

1969

SCOTT DENIS - US ARMY

August, 1972 - August, 1974

US Army, Alaska

ANNE GOTTWALD COMPTON - US NAVY

Served in the US Navy from 1982-1989.

Bravo to all my HS friends and others who served. Thank you!

PAUL GRANT - US COAST GUARD RESERVES

June 1969 - June 1975

US Coast Guard Reserves

DEAN GRINCH - US MARINE CORPS

November, 1969 - November, 1971

Enlisted Summer of 1969. Boot Camp San Diego/Camp Pendleton. Served in FMF Atlantic HQ, Norfolk, VA; 1st Marine Air Wing, Danang, Viet Nam and MCAS Iwakuni, Japan.

RAYMOND HEAP - US MARINE CORPS

Served from 1972-1978. Flew the A-6 Intruder stationed in Pensacola and in the Mediterranean Sea.

It was a great experience being a air craft carrier pilot. Proud to have served.

GENE HESKETT - US AIR FORCE

1974 - 1977
1st Lt., Arnold Air Force Station, Tullahoma, TN

JOELLEN HUDDY - US ARMY
1975 - 1978
Sgt. Military Police in Alaska and D.C. area.
JEFF KETTREY - US AIR FORCE
June, 1973-October, 1996
Pilot training Reese AFB TX Flew C141s at Norton AFB CA(2 tours) Flew C141s at Altus OK(2 tours) Flew C17s at Edwards AFB CA and Charleston AFB SC
JOHN LIVINGSTON - US NAVY

October, 1973 - March, 1992

I served as a physician and surgeon. I personally was in harm's way only twice. I was honored to serve those who served and who willingly put themselves in harms way everyday to secure the blessings we enjoy today. Thanks to them.

Desert Storm Desert Shield, Grenada; USS Virginia and Fleet Service Support Group; US Marines Camp Lejeune NC; Naval Hospital, Portsmouth Va; Acting Chief of Surgery Oak Knoll Naval Hospital; Chief of Surgery Naval Hospital Keflivik Iceland; NATO Joint Command

STUART LYNCH- US AIR FORCE

1969-1976; 1976-2000

Last assignment was at Barksdale AFB. Duty assignment was HQ 8th AF Aircraft Manager.

GORDON MITCHELL- US ARMY

April 17 - July 3, 1974

I took Army ROTC at Ohio State because I got a low number (92) on the draft lottery. That was a big mistake. Although, I got good grades in ROTC, there were attempts to dis-enroll me from the program and draft me. I graduated and was commissioned in June, 1973, but had to wait until next April to go in. That shot my chances of finding a permanent full-time job. I was in the Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. That branch was closest to my major. After a few months, they determined I wasn't officer material and they sent me home. If I knew back then what I know now I would never have gone in, even if that meant going to Canada. It was the Army that made me a Democrat.

KEN PFEIFER - US ARMY RESERVES

June, 1969 - December 15, 2011

Command Sergeant Major Pfeifer began his military career at 17, when he enlisted in the Army Reserve in June of 1969. His first assignment was the 366th Medical Detachment, Veterinary Services, as a 91R, Food Inspection Specialist. In 1974 CSM Pfeifer transferred to the 367th Public Affairs Detachment, where he was the Art Director for the 83rd ARCOM monthly magazine. CSM Pfeifer, then Specialist 5 Pfeifer, was discharged from the Army in June of 1975, the same day that he graduated from The Ohio State University.

In August of 1983, He re-enlisted into the 2078th USARF School as the Asst. Operations NCO. He quickly moved through various assignments, with the school, finally ending up as a Senior NCOES Instructor, having taught PLDC, BNCOC, ANCOC, and First Sergeants Course. In 1987 SFC Pfeifer moved to the 83rd ARCOM staff, as the Asst. Training NCO, where he was utilized as an evaluator for all instruction in the 83rd ARCOM operational area. In 1988, he returned to the 2078th as a Senior NCOES Instructor.

In 1990, Master Sergeant Pfeifer attended the 79D MOS Course, and after graduating first in the class, he became a Senior Retention NCO in the 83rd ARCOM Strength Management Division. In 1992 he was selected by a United States Army Reserve Command board to be The First U.S. Army Liaison NCO for Emergency Preparedness to the Ohio National Guard, State Area Command, at the rank of Sergeant Major.

He was selected as the Command Sergeant Major for the 391st Military Police Battalion in 1994, and then as the command Sergeant Major for the 307th Medical Group in 1998. CSM Pfeifer was mobilized from the 307th Med Group in March of 2001 to become the Command Sergeant Major for Task Force Medical Falcon IV, Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. In November of 2001, CSM Pfeifer was selected to be the Command Sergeant Major of the 643rd Area Support Group, the senior Army Reserve Noncommissioned Officer in the State of Ohio. In the third year of his tenure, he was again deployed, for a 14 month tour at Ft. Polk, LA, as the Command Sergeant Major for the Mobilization and Demobilization mission. Upon his return, he asked for, and received the Command Sergeant Major position at the 325th Finance Battalion. In 2007 CSM Pfeifer retired after 30 years of service.

CSM Pfeifer is a Graduate of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, The Garrison Command Sergeants Major Course, Senior NCO Battle Staff Course, First Sergeants Course, Senior NCO Course, Advanced NCO Course, and Basic NCO Course He has received the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, The Army Commendation Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, The Army Achievement Medal, The Good Conduct Medal, The Reserve Component Achievement Medal with one silver and one bronze oak leaf cluster, The National Defense Medal with 2 service stars, The Kosovo Campaign Medal with one campaign star, The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, The Reserve Medal with M device and the numeral 2, The NCO Professional Development Ribbon with the numeral 4, The Army Service Ribbon, The Overseas Service Ribbon, The Overseas Training Ribbon, The NATO Ribbon for Kosovo, and The Career Counselors Badge..

CSM Pfeifer resides in Dublin, Ohio, with his wife, Dawn and his Daughter, Sarah. He is employed by Stone Search Services as a Senior Consultant.

DAVID ROBENALT - US ARMY RESERVES
1971-1977;
347th Personnel Srv Co.
STEVE SIMS - US AIR FORCE

1973-1977

Biloxi, MS: trained as a computer techncian; posted at NORAD, Colorado Springs, computer repairman, top-secret clearance. Photo from 1997; my moustache now (Dec 2017) is white!

GARY SMITH - US AIR FORCE
1970-1973
JEFF STEVENSON - US NAVY

1977 - 1997

Commander (Surface Warfare), Retired

SCOTT STREET - US AIR FORCE NATIONAL GUARD

1971 through 1977

Basic training at Lackland Air Force Base San Antonio Texas. Weapons crew for F 100 fighter jets. Converted to A7 fighter bomber. Served with classmate, Steve Morley. Many amazing stories to tell. We spent a two week summer camp in Las Vegas with Air Force Pilot and classmate Mark Bright.

GEOFF STRIDSBERG - US MARINE CORPS

1969-1972

Served in Vietnam. Honorably discharged.

JOHN WINKEL - US ARMY
Drafted Basic training Ft Knox. sent to White Sands Missile Range , New Mexico. Orders came down that I was to go to Vietnam in 6 weeks. Weeks later I was called in to the 1st Sargents office and he asked if I would rather dodge coconuts,than bullets. I chose coconuts,and was sent to Kwajalein, a missle test site in the Marshall Islands. Honorable discharge Specialist 4, Sept 1972.
ANDY WISE - US NAVY
Served in the US Navy from December, 1974 - January, 1981.
CARLA WORKMAN VULGAMORE- US NAVY NURSE CORPS

I was in the Navy Nurse Corps: 2 years at OSU Nursing School in the Navy's Nurse Corp Candidate Program and 3 years active duty at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, VA. I was a full Lieutenant when I was discharged 8/1976.

UA69ers' SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN THE MILITARY
CPL. NICHOLAS ALEXANDER SHERIFF- US MARINE CORPS

The son of Elizabeth (Jane) Sheriff, Nicholas has been in the service for 3 ½ years and is currently on his second deployment in Iraq. He is a member of the 2nd Radio Battalion based at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.

Nicholas loves being a Marine and plans to re-enlist at the end of his current recruitment. He is working on his college degree as he serves.

AARON MIDDLETON - (submitted by Libbie Pfefferle Trott)

UA Marine Corps: 2001 - Present.

Aaron Middleton, my son in law, is a Major in the Marines and is stationed at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fl. He has been on 3 tours of Duty.

The photo is at a Marine Ball with Aaron and my daughter, Holly.

NICHOLAS KAPAROS (submitted by Nick Kaparos)
My son, Nicholas Kaparos, just left the Navy with 5 years service on the USS Elrod and now works on the USS Gerald Ford carrier at the Norfolk Shipyards.
SHANE STAFFORD KIBBEY (submitted by Sheryl Stafford Kibbey)
Our youngest son, Shane Stafford Kibbey, is a Tech Sergeant with the USAF. He was a trumpet performance full scholarship student when he auditioned for the USAF Band in November 1999. He was accepted and reported for duty February 2000. He is now stationed in San Antonio with the USAF Band of the West and is currently assigned to Public Affairs. He was previously stationed in Germany and assigned to the USAF Band in Europe. While there, he traveled all over Europe, Middle East, including Afghanistan, Israel, Japan and more.
 

From left, Staff Sgt. Shane Kibbey, Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Saunders and Senior Airman Ryan Manzi perform for a combined audience of deployed Airmen and Soldiers as well as servicemembers from England and Holland at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.

The band joined USAFE Commander Gen. Tom Hobbins and USAFE Command Chief Master Sgt. Gary Coleman as they journeyed downrange to meet deployed Airmen in Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Chuck Roberts)

Right: Sheryl Stafford Kibbey and Shane Kibbey.

MATT RUSSELL (submitted by Bob Russell)
Bob Russell's son, Matt Russell, is an honors graduate of the United States Naval Academy Class ‘06, where he was a 3-time All-American Lacrosse player . He is a Captain in the United States Marines. Matt has served multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was based in Camp Pendleton ( San Diego ) for 11 years prior to his retirement from active duty.

ANDY MURDOCH (submitted by Nick Kaparos)
  
My son in law, Andy Murdoch, (married to my daughter Elyse) is a member of the British Royal Marines with 1 tour in Iraq and 2 tours in Afghanistan.
NICK SALIMBENE (submitted by Beth Madden Salimbene)
 

This is our oldest son Nick, who just took command of a company in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy.

He is an Army Ranger Captain who is stationed in Italy for 3 years with his wife, Karlie, and my " grandog Jack," a Rhodesian Ridgeback.

    
If you are a veteran, or are currently in the military, please send information so it can be added to this page. Thank you!
  

 

 

 

  

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