A Southern California native, Mike came to the Academy after spending two years with the girls at the beaches while attending UCLA. We're still puzzled as to why with his UCLA experience, he had to join several of his classmates on R-Flight, repeating a 4th class course instead of going on summer leave, according to Mike Freshman English just wasnt his cup of tea. His academic recovery was quick, and during the remainder of his Academy days, Mike was on the Dean's as well as the Commandant's list. A member of 14th and 24th Squadrons, Mike enjoyed the sports of soccer, squash and field hockey plus going on skiing trips. After graduation,
it was off to graduate school at Stanford, getting his Masters Degree
in Mechanical Engineering Design. Following graduate school, Mike embarked
on an Air Force career in engineering, first as a development engineer
with the AF Contract Management Division at the North American Rockwell
plant in California where he worked with NASA on the Apollo and Space
Shuttle programs, followed by working with NASA again at the Martin
Marietta facility in Denver where he worked on the Deorbit and Terminal
Decent engines for the Viking Lander.
In 1972 Mike was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington
DC as a Staff Development Engineer and after a two years went across
the river to HQ AFSC serving in the Directorate of Science and Technology
where he managed the Manufacturing Technology Program. After his HQ
AFSC assignment, Mike attended the University of Oklahoma, where he
worked on his PhD in Aerospace Engineering, the problem he advisor gave
him turned out to be unsolvable after two years of trying, Mike noted
to his advisor, who disagreed, that the basic equation was flawed, Mike
was proven right a few years later.
Mikes follow-on assignment was to the Air Force Institute of Technology
(AFIT) at WPAFB OH as an instructor of aerospace engineering. Click
on thumbnails for larger images
Mike and Reggi - Keep having fun, you two! January 2013 |