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Veteran weapons loader finishes 28-year career where it all began

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Lake
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Kadena is a special place to Senior Master Sgt. Robert Meyer. It was here that the 28-year Air Force veteran started and - as of Friday, Sept. 18 - ended his career as an F-15 Eagle weapons loader. 

The Laplace, Ill.-native, retired from active duty Sept. 18 after serving more than 17 years of his career at Kadena. 

"I love the people here and I love the island," he said shortly before his retirement ceremony Friday afternoon. "The local community has always been very welcoming and Kadena is an awesome place to raise kids." 

As a final tribute to their retiring assistant superintendent, the 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit gathered to watch the veteran weapons loader perform one last time before hanging up the tools and technical orders for good. 

"One more to go," shouted one coworker as Sergeant Meyer finished mounting one of the last AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles on the belly of an F-15 that had been at Kadena since he first arrived in 1982. "You can do it old man," shouted another voice hiding in the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle. 

With the help of two of the unit's "greenest" Airmen, Airmen 1st Class Thai Thach and Erik Schmidt, Sergeant Meyer loaded four AIM-120 and four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles in 45 minutes. 

"It's been more than 15 years since I loaded an F-15," said Sergeant Meyer, who turned 45 years old this year. "I was a little rusty, but not much." 

The seasoned senior NCO said he planned the event on the eve of his retirement ceremony so he could mentor his Airmen one last time. 

"I picked the two youngest certified crewmembers in the unit because I wanted to give them something to think about later on in their careers," he said. "I wanted them to see that 'the old guys' never forget where we came from." 

When Sergeant Meyer first arrived at Kadena in 1982 as an airman basic, President Ronald Reagan had just finished his first year in the White House and Michael Jackson's Thriller album was getting heavy rotation on the airwaves. Shortly after the close of his first year at Kadena, Sergeant Meyer remembers getting recalled from the beach to load live weapons on four F-15s after Korean Air Lines flight 007 was shot down by Soviet fighters - killing all 269 passengers onboard. 

"I tell that story to the young Airmen as a reminder why we're here," he said. "Incidents can happen very quickly in this area of the world and it's our job to be ready to respond to them." 

After several stateside tours, two tours in South Korea, and five tours at Kadena, Sergeant Meyer's Air Force career came to an end. Donning the same-sized service dress coat he had worn as an airman basic 28 years before, Sergeant Meyer spoke humbly to his coworkers, friends and family as they celebrated his retirement. The senior NCO who wore every rank of his career at Kadena encouraged his Airmen to stay proud of their contributions to the Air Force mission. 

"We were proud of what we did here in the 80's and you should be proud of what you do here now each and every day," he said. 

The father of two also took the chance to thank his wife, Lilibeth, who stood by his side throughout the years and raised their two daughters. 

"Without the help of my wife, I would have never made it through my career," he said. "She really straightened me out." 

As the two prepare to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary next week, Mrs. Meyer said she's happy to be spending more time with her husband, but also sad because she'll soon be seeing less of her youngest daughter, Sarah, who's preparing to head to Air Force basic training with hopes of becoming an air traffic controller. 

First Lt. Zachary Magnin, 67th AMU assistant officer-in-charge, who presided over Sergeant Meyer's retirement ceremony, coincidentally served as the presiding officer for delivering Sarah's oath of enlistment Monday. 

"The Air Force has been very good to our family," Mrs. Meyer said shortly after her husband's retirement ceremony. "I'm very happy that I will get to spend more time with my husband, but at the same time, I'm sad because I know I won't get to see my daughter as much. We're hoping that she eventually gets stationed here. I met my husband here, we raised two daughters here, and now we're hoping to retire here."