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Show HILLTOP TIMES 10 TIMES November 13, 2008 CARLSON From page 9 nancial aid, either, but they offered to send me to summer camp and promised I could be a pilot. I remember thinking, Well, that sounds interesting.'" In June 1969,19-year-old Bruce Carlson proposed to 18-year-old Vicki Martens. He popped the question one minute after midnight following the day in which her class graduated, honoring her parents* request that they wait until Vicki had graduated before getting engaged. But summer camp, and a life-altering experience, beckoned. "I was taken for a ride in a T-33 aircraft, a jet designed to train Air Force pilots," Gen. Carlson said. "That was it. I came back and told Vicki that I didn't want to be an accountant anymore, I wanted to be a BERNARD STRASSER/ U.S. Air Force fighter pilot." Gen. Bruce Carlson, Air Force Materiel Command His fiancee did not share commander, and wife Vicki greet first lady Laura Bush his enthusiasm. when Mrs. Bush landed at Wright-Patterson Air Force "I knew absolutely noth- Base, Ohio, in 2006 on her way to a local event. ing about the Air Force," Mrs. Carlson said. "I told atHoUoman(AFB,N.M.)," Bruce that I didn't want said Mrs. Carlson when Flexibility is the key him to do it and then I recalling their first permaspoke to my dad. My father After completing unnent duty station. "It was told me that if flying was dergraduate pilot trainpartially due to being sick what Bruce wanted to do, I ing, the next stop on the from being pregnant with couldn't hold him back." couple's Air Force odyssey our first child, Bryan, and was Homestead AFB, Fla., because it was such a small Realizing her father where then-Lt. Carlson con- town. It had a McDonald's was right, she offered her unfailing support. They tinued his training in the and a Dairy Queen and that married on June 27,1970 in F-4. Nearby was Miami, was about it." Brainerd. General Carlson with its bustling beaches, Gen. Carlson acknowlcompleted his accounting shops and restaurants. edges that his wife cried degree at the University of 'Modest' and 'isolated' throughout one week at the Minnesota, Duluth, and was were among their thoughts outset, but light-heartedly commissioned in June 1971 upon arriving at their first adds that she cried for a as a distinguished gradupermanent duty station in month following the concluate of the Air Force ROTC May 1973. sion of their second tour at program?-———~=—™-—-- -'I cried when we-arrived Holloman AFB in Novem- Force sustainment. CAM allows AFMC to manage the Air Force aircraft fleet in a much more holistic manner. We can manage by Air Force priority, not by the competing demands of By the time Gen. each of those 17 separate Carlson took command of AFMC in August 2005, operating agencies." As a result, the general the journey was nearing said that AFMC was able to the end. It's lasted longer shift money between weapthan some fellow officers ons systems and still return thought it would $500 million back to the Air "I remember that durForce last year. ing undergraduate pilot Gen. Carlson points to training (at Vance AFB, Okla), Bruce was told that Barbara Westgate, a member of the Senior Execuhe would never be suctive Service and former cessful in the Air Force if AFMC executive director, he did not meet for drinks as the driving force behind at the officers club Friday evenings to network," AFMC's civilian indoctrination course. Mrs. Carlson said. "As "She oversaw the deMormons, we do not drink velopment of the course, or smoke and Bruce did which seeks to bring new not participate. It was a civilian employees quickly bit disheartening to hear up to speed on mission, higher ranking colleagues culture and other key matsay those things so early ters," Gen. Carlson said. oa But Bruce refused to "It made sense to provide compromise his faith and today, I think his integrity educational opportunities is one of the traits Bruce is and groom our civilians for leadership roles, since civilknown for." ians comprise more than 70 His values have been on display the past three years percent of the command's as he led a work force cur- work force of 77,000 - and AFMC employs 40 percent rently numbering about of the total number of Air 74,000 people and manForce civilians." aged $47 billion annually in research, development, Created in 2005, the test and evaluation while first-of-its-kind initiative providing the acquisition now is being adopted by the management services and Air Force to ensure all Air logistics support required Force civilians have proper to develop, procure and career training and are up sustain Air Force weapon to speed on key matters. systems. Out of the blue While AFMC has (maybe) amassed numerous achievements during his A new journey lies tenure as commander, Gen. ahead in Texas, where the Carlson cites two programs Carlsons plan to build a in particular: Centralized home on land they own Asset Management and the near Canyon Lake, north civilian orientation course. of San Antonio. They want to spend more time with Under CAM, dollars previously distributed to 17 their children, two of whom different Air Force operat- live in Texas, and with their ing locations are now cen- nine grandchildren. trally managed by AFMC Mrs. Carlson said she headquarters. plans to sew and read "That money takes care more, particularly fiction written by author James of all the flying operaPatterson. She also wants tions," Gen. Carlson said. to volunteer her services "It pays for items such as at a nearby church they've fuel, technical orders and modifications. CAM is truly already settled on, and possibly at schools attended by a revolutionary program her grandchildren. because it brings enterprise-wide efficiency to Air However Gen. Carlson, who officially retires from the Air Force Jan. 1,2009, acknowledges he wouldn't mind remaining involved with the Air Force and defense business as a consul1 News tant. 1 LifeTimes "If my background in 1 Commentary sustainment and joint op1 Around the Hill erations experience with 1 Link to official Base site sister services can somehow benefit the Air Force, 'Site Archive I'll help in whatever way I can," he said. And after more than three-plus decades of service before self, they can take comfort in knowing See it all at they will have more say when they're apart, www.HilltopTimes.com over relish in the fact that they will unpack boxes for the final time, and still have their lttekly Since IMS lakeside view. ber 1996 because she had grown so fond of the base and the local area. Bryan gained a sister, Jani Jeane, in 1976. She was born in Austin, Texas, as then-Capt. Carlson was an OV-10 instructor pilot and flight examiner for the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron at Bergstrom AFB, Texas. Their second son, Scott, was born in 1980 while the family was at Myrtle Beach AFB, S.C. General Carlson was an A-10 pilot and fighter weapons instructor pilot with the 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Gen. and Mrs. Carlson say that while those assignments are special because of the birth of their children, they both are fond of their time at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Their 10th permanent change of station was from July 1991 to June 1993. "It offered a great environment for families," Mrs. Carlson said. "There was so much to do there. You could drive one hour in one direction and snow ski, and drive one hour in the opposite direction and water ski." For then-Col. Carlson, who served as the vice commander for the 366th Fighter Wing, it allowed him to continue flying the F-16, his favorite aircraft. But an assignment that took place a decade earlier was the one that significantly shaped Gen. Carlson's leadership philosophy. In May 1980 he went to work as an aide to Gen. Bill Creech, the commander of Tactical Air Command, which was headquartered atLangleyAFB,Va. "He demanded that I sit in on every briefing or meeting with him," Gen. Carlson said. "Initially, that generated some anxiety because that meant I wasn't at my desk and paperwork was piling up. Plus, I had just moved my family, which included a newborn. "But by attending those meetings, I learned how he ran such a large organization and how he communicated with people," Gen. Carlson said. "He was an incredible teacher and his lessons stayed with me." 'Matenel'-istically speaking www.HilltopTimes.com What are you missing? month SPECIAL EW DONORS! Search for free back to 1999! 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