Retiring chief reflects on career of ‘living the dream’ Published May 15, 2015 By Chief Master Sgt. Michael Yoakum 60th Mission Support Group TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- When I talk to Airmen and ask them how they are doing, the most common response I get is "Living the dream, chief." Sometimes I wonder if they are truly living the dream or telling me what they think I want to hear. As I reflect on my nearly 30 years of service, I can honestly say I could have never imagined the opportunities the Air Force would bring. If given the opportunity to write the perfect 30-year dream, I would have never come close to what the Air Force experience provided. On Aug. 29, 1985, at 18 years old, my dream started after landing at the airport in San Antonio, Texas, and I stepped onto a big, blue bus destined for Lackland Air Force Base for six weeks of basic military training, six weeks of security police technical training and off to my first duty assignment at Tactical Air Command's Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, securing priority "A" weapons - nuclear weapons. After a deployment to Libya and a stop at Kunsan Air Base, Korea, I was sent to Strategic Air Command's Beale Air Force Base, California, in January 1989. This was my third assignment in less than four years. I spent 11 days shy of nine years at Beale, working with some of the best and most competitive Airmen around. In August 1989, I married my wife, Cathy, and five months later deployed to Royal Air Force Akrotiri, Cyprus, in the Mediterranean. This was one of those hush-hush missions while wearing civilian attire and I could not disclose my nationality. Three months after returning from Cyprus, with 45 minutes notice and a pregnant spouse, I deployed to Saudi Arabia 10 days after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. In late January 1991, I was chosen to stand guard on the SR-71 during its decommissioning ceremony. The appropriateness of this event is when my dad took me to my first air show at March Air Force Base in Riverside, California, in the early 1980s and it was the first time I saw the SR-71 fly - an absolutely amazing aircraft. I never thought I would be the person standing guard on that plane when it was retired from the Air Force. A month later, my wife gave birth to our first child, Shelby. Two years later, I deployed to Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, and got shot at twice the third day I was there, which was quite the eye-opening experience. The shots were so close to me, I could hear the rounds buzzing just over my head. They turned out to be friendly fire by a Honduran tower guard. I was lucky he was a bad shot. One of my most memorable life experiences occurred while conducting security ops during a humanitarian mission just north of the Nicaraguan border. We flew in on a UH-60 Black Hawk and maneuvered to a village where the medics and veterinarians provided vaccinations to the people and animals. I was approached by a 6-year-old girl who had coffee cans cemented to the ends of her legs because her feet had been amputated. Minus the clanking sound each time she stepped, she walked perfectly fine. The part that overwhelmed me with emotion was when she thanked me for helping her family with a hug and offered me a piece of chewing gum. I humbly took the piece of gum and she ran off like any other child. Moments like that truly make a person appreciate serving in this great Air Force. In 1995, my son, Tyler, was born. After leaving Beale, I was a by-name hire to Air Combat Command's security police staff as an action officer at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Next, I went to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, with the 820th Security Forces Group and then back to the Pacific at Headquarters Pacific Air Command at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii before a stop in Europe at Aviano Air Base, Italy. I arrived at Travis Air Force Base, California, in late June 2009, four months prior to the Operational Readiness Inspection followed quickly by a deployment to Balad, Iraq, for seven months. That tour in Iraq was the most rewarding, knowing I was directly responsible for leading 230 defenders and an additional 300 Ugandan guards in a combat environment. During that time, we endured more than 90 missile and mortar attacks and 30 small-arms weapons attacks. As luck would have it, I did not lose a single Airman as a casualty or suicide. Back at Travis, we endured more inspections and were in the running for the Commander In Chief Excellence Award. In April 2012, I was tasked to deploy to Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, on two weeks' notice, tasked to lead more than 200 amazing defenders in the defense of the base while protecting U.S. forces and allied forces as they transited in and out of Afghanistan. The timing of that deployment could not have been better since the following May 2013, I got to watch my daughter commission as an Air Force second lieutenant and graduate college. In May 2014, I was hired as the 60th Mission Support Group superintendent, working with an outstanding group of logistics, civil engineer, communications, contracting, force support, security forces, commanders, chiefs and first sergeants. The professional Airmen in the mission support group do amazing things every day and make it possible for everyone to live their dreams. In June 2014, my son graduated from Armijo High School and, in November 2014, enlisted in the Air Force and graduated Basic Military Training in January. He completed his technical training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and is now stationed at Travis in the 60th Maintenance Squadron. Colin Powell said, "A dream doesn't become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work." This is only a glimpse of the countless experiences in this amazing dream which encompassed countless changes in the Air Force, eight assignments, endured 24 AFIs, seven deployments, 27 different countries and 38 of the 50 states. I always received a paycheck, had a roof over my head, meals at the table for my family, dental and medical care for my family, free membership to a fitness center, worked with thousands of professional Airmen and made thousands of acquaintances who will never be forgotten and been married for more than 25 years. Yet, as this 30-year dream starts to fade, I will continue to dream as my two children serve this great country in the United States Air Force. To all the Airmen who are living the dream, make sure you embrace every minute of it because before you know it, the dream will come to an end.