Photos provided by: Dan Turlington

Born in 1955, Tacoma, Washington. Signed up into the Air Forces delayed enlistment program and upon graduating from High School in 1974 entered active duty. My first duty assignment out of helicopter technical training was with Det 9, 48th ARRS. Det 9 was detached to Whiteman AFB in Missouri - home to the 351st Strategic Missile Wing. There were 150 missile silos and 15 launch control centers in the vicinity of the base which were in service until the end of the Cold War. Det 9’s mission was to provide security cover, and rescue and recovery support to the missile wing. Det 9 flew UH-1F single engine Hueys.

Through the air force job-swap program I traded duty stations with Robin Masters and arrived at MHAFB in early 1976. Not long after my arrival I was assigned as Crew Chief to 602. In July of that year I was asked to volunteer for crewmember flying status as a Flight Mechanic (FM). I completed survival and combat crew training at Fairchild AFB, Spokane, Washington, in August of 1976 and was assigned flight crew duties in September. There was never a dull moment during my time in Det 22. If our crew was not on an actual rescue mission, we were training – supporting Red Flag, conducting local training operations, or flying perimeter around the firing range. My time at MHAFB as a Det 22 service member was extremely rich and very rewarding.

After separating from the service I earned a Bachelors degree in Business Administration at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.

In 1983 I was hired by the FAA as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller. I worked at SeaTac Tower for a while before transferring to SEA Center. I finished my government career in Logistics as a Purchasing Agent.

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Daniel M. Turlington

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