I am enjoying retirement after fifteen years in the Air Force, and twenty-seven years as a Southern Baptist pastor in Missouri, Ohio and Illinois.
While in the service I considered myself to be a military career person, and looking to complete at least twenty if not thirty years, and retiring at the ripe old age of fifty. June of sixty-three was only six months away, and I had to make an important career decision: To re-up for six more years, or to follow my desire to becoming a chaplain. Facing my two options, and taking all things into considerations, I (my family of four and I) decided to accept my discharge coming up in June, and attend college, and seminary and upon completion of both I would have met the qualifications necessary to becoming an air force chaplain. I completed college and seminary in seven years
Now, at the age of forty-one, I applied for the chaplaincy. The age cutoff for a Chaplain was thirty-seven, but because of having fifteen year of prior service they waved the age factor, but they cut back the chaplains quota for all branches of service. The irony of it all was that my S/Sgt rank was frozen at the time I got out of the service, and after qualifying for the chaplaincy I felt the cold north wind once again.
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model Boeing B-52H Stratofortress Length 160.89 ft | 49.04 m Width 185.10 ft | 56.42 m Height 40.68 ft | 12.40 m Engine(s) 8 x Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3 turbofan engines generating 17,000lbs of standard thrust each. Empty Weight 172,743 lbs | 78,355 kg MTOW 487,993 lbs | 221,350 kg Max Speed 595 mph | 958 km/h | 517 kts Max Range 10,000 miles | 16,093 km Ceiling 54,954 ft | 16,750 m | 10.4 miles Climb Rate Not Available Hardpoints 2 Armament Mission-specific armament can include any of the following:
20 x AGM-86B ALCM cruise missiles (internal) 20 x AGM-129 cruise missiles (internal) 2 x AGM-86B ALCMs cruise missile (external) 2 x AGM-129 cruise missiles (external) Free Fall Nuclear Bombs 12 x AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles 12 x AGM-142A air-to-surface missiles AGM-86C CALCM cruise missiles JDAMs
Up to 51,570lbs (340kg) class bombs or mines Accommodations 6 Operators United States of America
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