Flight chief celebrates 50 years Published Feb. 17, 2010 By Nick DeCicco 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Every day at his job, Richard Wetzel claims to learn something new. To some people, this would seem an unremarkable feat. Who doesn't learn something new about themselves or their jobs on a daily basis? However, what distinguishes Mr. Wetzel is many cannot lay claim to having the same employer for 50 years. On Feb. 11, Mr. Wetzel, the plans and requirements flight chief for the 60th Communications Squadron, hit 50 years of service to the United States government. But in his humble nature, the man is quick to deflect any credit. "It's just been one continuous growing experience," he said. "All those people out there are the ones that make it happen. Nothing would ever happen if it weren't for all those people." It's the people who have meant the most to Mr. Wetzel after a half century of service. He's met plenty of them along the way. Born in Glendale, Calif., in 1940, he completed high school in Salt Lake City as well as graduated from the Capital Radio Engineering Institute. He attended Monmouth College, N.J., and served in the Army from 1958 to 1964. During his time in the Army, Mr. Wetzel attended a year of training in microwave/system engineering at Fort Monmouth, N.J., before a direct-duty assignment in Vernou, France, working for the 102nd Signal Battalion. It wouldn't be the last time he would be in Europe, but after four years in France, he returned to Fort Monmouth as an instructor in microwave/tropo scatter electronic systems. Upon separation from the service in 1964, Mr. Wetzel returned to France, working for Beckman Electronics in their Paris laboratories. On his way there, he met his wife, Francoise Foucher, with whom he would have four children, all born in Europe, who now reside in Northern California. During his time at Beckman, Mr. Wetzel said his French boss made him lead of the research and development team, which often meant presentations to others in his American-accented French. "My French wasn't perfect, but they put me out there because they wanted people to think, 'Hey, they've brought this guy all the way from Fullerton, California,'" he said with a laugh. After his time with Beckman, Mr. Wetzel worked for RCA in Wiesbaden, Germany, which provided electronic engineering services to the Air Force. In 1967, the late Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara visited the Wiesbaden plant and told the engineers, much to their dismay, that they needed to start paying the taxes as they had not been to that date. As a way to ease the blow, Mr. McNamara said they were welcome to switch over and become federal employees with a few perks. Mr. Wetzel took the opportunity. His first assignment was with the 60th Radio Relay Squadron at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Other assignments included the 2134th Communications Squadron, Sembach Air Base, Germany, and then a short tour with the Air Force Logistics Center at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. In 1971, he returned to Europe, working at Torrejon Air Base in Spain as an Air Force communications system member, regional level, and later as a the 1989th Communications Group programs division chief. In November 1976, Mr. and Mrs. Wetzel decided to bring the family to the United States, settling on an assignment with the 60th Communications Squadron at Travis. Since then, he has worked in a variety of capacities, including as the squadron's interim commander, deputy commander, flight commander and his current role as a flight chief. Still active at 69, Mr. Wetzel said he stays in shape by running three times a week. When he looks back on 50 years of civil service, however, he's reluctant to take any credit for his rich and successful journey. "I'm the luckiest man alive," he said. "I can't imagine why the guy upstairs would look over it and be so good to me." Herman Mercado with the 60th Communications Squadron contributed to this report.