His ‘dirty job’ helped keep Air Force flying

He served in the Air Force for 12 years.

“Have you ever heard of ‘Dirty Jobs,’ that TV show where Mike Rowe used to do these jobs that nobody wants to do? One of his jobs was similar to what I did in the Air Force.

“We provided fuel system support for any aircraft, whether an F-16 or C-130. They have fuel tanks just like cars, except they’re gigantic. So to fix them, if you’re a mechanic, you have to suit up and crawl inside the tank. I started out as a mechanic and then ended up as a supervisor. 

“My biggest adventure was serving in Baghdad. We were there training a bunch of Iraqis, and we lived with them in their camps. It was dangerous, but it was interesting to actually learn their culture, learn to speak their language, and really befriend them while we were training them. They’re from a completely different culture, so it takes time. But I really think our role there was making a difference.”