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| Brig. Gen. Thomas Kittler, U.S. Air Force (retired). |
Soldiers. Sailors. Marines. Each Nov. 11, when Veterans Day rolls around, crews of GIs, leathernecks and swabbies get trotted out and rightfully honored.
Somehow the Air Force often gets overlooked, though Air Force vets are not the sort to complain.
"I never feel slighted," said Tom Kittler, a retired Air Force brigadier general from Northbrook, allowing that, "I think it's a valid argument."
Kittler immediately speculated why that might be.
"The Army, the Navy, have been around for quite a long time. The Air Force is relatively new to the show."
Relatively new, it became a separate branch of the Armed Forces in 1947. Before that, you had the U.S. Army Air Corps.
The Army and Navy cast a wide net. The Air Force is more focused, looking for recruits like Kittler, who joined the Air Force ROTC in 1984 as a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Why? He was already flying, having earned his wings at 16.
"It was my dream to fly airplanes," he said. "My dad was an avionics engineer. He'd take my Cub Scout troop out to the hangar, we'd climb over the old airplanes. That's how I got the bug."
Americans give to the military; the military gives back. Kittler not only got a career out of the Air Force — he went on to become a commercial pilot — but a wife and family: He met his future wife Jennifer because she was an Air Force nurse.
Which put her in a position to understand the demands of the job, like at Christmas 1989.
"My folks were visiting," he said. Duty called. "We took off Christmas Eve. My parents were aghast — 'Where is he going? When is he coming back?' My wife said, 'He's going to work; he'll be back.'"
The mission? Operation Just Cause, the effort to unseat Manuel Noriega and restore Panamanian democracy.
At least that was over quickly. He was in the reserve during the Second Gulf War, called up for a two-year activation.
"That was hard," said Kittler. "I was away from my girls — I have two daughters," then 6 and 8. "But you get called, you have to go."
Does service encourage patriotism?
"Absolutely it does," he said. "I think the individuals you train to fight with, to go to war with, to spend Christmas Eve on an airplane with, these are your lifetime heroes. You do it for your buddies. You don't want to let them down. That's why I'm so involved with the Northbrook Veterans Center."
Kittler, 64, a Northbrook resident, would prefer today's piece focus on all vets and their needs.
"We want to spread the word. It's veterans helping veterans," he said. "Veterans don't know about service and benefits. We want to make sure everybody who is entitled to them is knowledgeable."
Among The good that Kittler has had been able to do includes was mentoring Cameron Jones, an Air Force major and member of NASA's latest class of young astronauts.
"My best friend's son came to me, when he was 12, and said, 'Hey Uncle Tom, I want to do what you do,'" recalled Kittler. "This past year, he just got tapped to be the latest of 10 astronauts. He's very bright, did extremely well at test pilot school. It's my understanding he will be selected for our effort to get back to the moon. He's very excited, and I'm very proud of him."
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Great article about vets and nice profile of Brigadier General Kittler. He is a true patriot. I thank him, and all vets, for their service. We should be truly grateful.
ReplyDeleteGood column. Too bad the shitshow President wants to erase military personnel that are black or female.
ReplyDeleteNice to see a lady in the group.
ReplyDeleteShe was a paratrooper!
DeleteThanks Neil for this nice profile of a great American...well, two actually with the future astronaut. I took that oath too (a couple of times) and it crushes me to know that many others who took it have forgotten about what we swore to uphold. As the General says it's not to a man, but to a concept.
ReplyDeleteProud to have served.
Is NVC on Shermer? How can I help?
ReplyDeleteYes, let me inquire to them.
DeleteI had no idea that the USAF was the new kid where miltary is concerned. General Kittler must have been an interesting interview. I have a nephew who is a captain in the Air Force now - and only heaven (and his commander) knows how hard he works for our country.
ReplyDeleteVeteran's Day is a day of reflection. We've only recently learned of ancestors who served in Rev.War, Civil War and WWI. We've always appreciated what our vets have done, but that history It definitely makes our national experiment seem closer to home.
I would also like to add that the our Rev War & Civil War ancestors signed up as relatively new immigrants to America. So there's that!
It borders on treason that so many military as well as ex military support Trump. That goes for the Cops and Firemen. I don't think they take and oath to protect the Constitution. No doubt a majority of ICE is ex military as well. I don't know about the rest of the military but there is a lot of religious indoctrination in the Air Force.
ReplyDeleteI respected those grunts drafted into the Viet Nam meat grinder.
ReplyDeleteThe professional pension hunters and layabouts are mercenaries for hire and cost $1 Trillion in salaries and bloated benefits we can't afford.
Call it jingoism, a world standing army, police state, a bully nation
US never left Japan, Europe. Fuck the empire.
These gloryhounds bitch and moan and are true welfare queens.
Thank God the dollar is collapsing into hyper inflation.
I hate these violent ICE - militaristic police THUGS.
Die already. Pigs. Wrap em in bacon.
"Kitt" was my fraternity brother at U of I. Great guy, good friend, true gentleman. I haven't seen him in decades; it's wonderful to see he's done/doing so well.
ReplyDelete