Retiree reminisces on Air Force career

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Donald Osborn
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
"Still Serving"

Standing in the hot, clammy one-story wooden barracks at Fort Knox, Ky., an Army Air Forces recruit stood motionless, staring at a single piece of paper on the bulletin board. The single statement written on the paper had a significant impact on our Air Force history.

"Well, it said the Army Air Forces was splitting up into two separate services, and they were looking for volunteers to join this new service called the Air Force," said Senior Master Sgt. Bill Kirk, (retired). "I realized I didn't like tanks too much, so I ran down to the orderly room and quickly volunteered to join the Air Force."

That was the first time Sergeant Kirk volunteered his services for the Air Force and almost 60 years later, he can still be found doing that very same thing at the Travis Retiree Activities Office.

After volunteering to serve in the Air Force, to which he believes the Army retaliated by ordering him to K.P. duty until the cross over could be finalized, Sergeant Kirk spent the next 23 years serving as a communications technician for the Air Force Communications Service.

He stated that he spent approximately 70 percent of his active duty time at overseas locations.

"There wasn't much of a need for military communications people here in the states," he said. "Most of those jobs were performed by civilians back then."

Sergeant Kirk got his chance to work as a civilian again after retiring in May 1970, but something inside of him kept calling him back to the service.

"I worked for a big name company for some years after retirement, but I had a need to get back into the Air Force social life," he said. "Fortunately, that need turned into helping other people."

It was the need for helping other retirees that made him move closer to Travis three years ago.

"There are a lot of retirees out there that have no idea how to take care of the problems or issues they may have," he said. "That's what the RAO is here for."

Sergeant Kirk pointed out that there are many services still offered to retirees and dependants today, but some have a difficult time understanding those benefits. He said some retirees, especially the elderly, don't even know what benefits exist for them today.

"You have to think that some of them have been retired for many years, and there have been a lot of changes [for retirees] since then," he said.

He went on to say that if they don't know a particular answer to a question a retiree might have, then they will find an agency that can answer the retiree's question.

The can-do attitude of Sergeant Kirk is shared by the more than 1,400 other retired volunteers serving at Travis. He is only one of the many retired volunteers that are humble about their contributions to Team Travis. They are an integral part of our base society and they help us accomplish our mission.

Editor's Note: This is the second in a three-part series focusing on retirees working on Travis and how they contribute to Team Travis' success.