910TH AIRLIFT WING A last flight before retiring

Gjede said commanding the 910th Airlift Wing was the highlight of his career.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
VIENNA -- "We're here to make sure your number of landings equal your number of takeoffs," someone in the cockpit said to Brig. Gen. Michael Gjede just after takeoff around 11 a.m.
"Flying is what I love and what makes the job fun," said Gjede, retiring commander of the Air Force Reserve's 910th Airlift Wing and Youngstown Air Reserve Station.
"No pressure, J.D. Lots of witnesses," a flight crew member said to the pilot, Maj. J.D. Williams, near the end of the one-hour flight to Sandusky by way of Cleveland and back.
"You guys are killing me," Williams responded, just before landing back at the air station. The co-pilot was Capt. Jeff Prochnow.
"Sir, it was a pleasure. Congratulations," a crew member said to Gjede as the flight ended.
"Thank you, guys," Gjede replied, as the plane rolled to a stop.
The cockpit chatter on the C-130's internal communication headsets pretty much told the story of Gjede's traditional last flight Wednesday.
The general admitted it was an emotional day for him.
Career highlight
He said being commander of an air base is the best job in the Air Force, and said his six years at the 910th was the highlight of his 36-year career.
As he stepped off the plane, he was thoroughly doused by two hoses from a base firetruck, another Air Force tradition for seeing off a well-liked commander.
And, Gjede's replacement at the 910th, Col. Timothy Thomson, shook up a bottle of champagne and sprayed Gjede with that.
"I'm honored. These are a great bunch of people ... it has been my pleasure to lead for six years. That's what makes this so tough," Gjede said of his last day.
Gjede was first kissed and hugged and shared a glass of champagne with his wife, Jerlynn, who was carrying an American flag.
"From a wife's perspective, I'm very proud of Michael and his career. I've never minded when he was gone because he was serving his country," she said.
"I love Michael, and we both love our country. He had his mission, and I feel supporting him helped him do his job," she said.
"This has been my life," Gjede said, as he looked back at his 36-year career in the briefing room before Wednesday's flight.
Looking ahead
Gjede, a two-tour Vietnam veteran with 140 combat missions, many over North Vietnam, said he and his wife have no specific plans on how they are going to fill the weekends, now that he no longer has military duties.
However, he reiterated that they plan to stay in the area for a couple of years and be involved in the community and work with the Save Our Airbase Reservists committee. SOAR is the organization that is working to help the Youngstown Air Reserve Station survive plans by the Department of Defense to reduce military installations beginning in 2005.
"If I had a choice, I'd stay here another 10 years. I leave unwillingly," he said.
alcorn@vindy.com