Bracey, Bruce, SMSgt

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE AIR FORCE.
My father served in the United States Army for 20 years and retired in 1974. When I decided to follow in his footsteps, I initially signed up with the Army. A medical issue with my father got me out of that enlistment in the inactive reserve, and 2 months later I switched over to the Air Force. My family and friends told me that the Air Force provided better facilities and care for families. I was interested in electronics and was told the Air Force had plenty to offer and they did!

WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BASIC TRAINING AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
Basic Training at Lackland in the 3723 BMTS, Flight 166. On to Tech school at Keesler AFB, MS then to more school at Fort Gordon, Georgia. My first assignment was the 1st Combat Communications Group at Lindsey A.S. in Wiesbaden, Germany, and I was part of the team that brought in the first mobile Satellite Communications Ground Mobile Forces terminals (AN/TSC-94). Next, I traveled to the 2nd Combat Comm Grp at Patrick AFB, Florida, where I was the first ever Satellite Communications troop in the 2nd Mob. We worked on the new AN/TSC-100 GMF terminals. I met and married my wife, Cindy McLaughlin and eight months later we headed back to Germany to Kapaun A.S. Our first son came along while we were in Germany (born in Cape Canaveral, Florida while my wife was home with family and I was TDY to Woodbridge, VA) We came back home to the USA and went to Barksdale AFB, LA, for my first exposure to TACSAT and B-52 bombers. Our second son was born there at the Base hospital.

Next, I went to Pirinclik AB, Turkey. Sadam invaded Kuwait just a month before my remote tour was up, but we had already transitioned the equipment to contractors. I rotated back to the States and landed at Falcon Air Force Base (Now Schriever) where my wartime assignment was to supervise Space Command's dual satellite terminal communications hub. From there, we headed back to Barksdale for a stint with HQ 8th Air Force where I deployed to Saudi Arabia to support Operation Southern Watch. I made Senior while assigned to 8th AF and then went to Holloman AFB, New Mexico as Superintendent of the Maintenance Flight. My family always supported me in my career and never complained when we had to pack up and move. So, when my sons were getting to the age where friends were important, and a high possibility for another remote assignment was in my near future, I opted to end my career without ever trying for Chief. I retired from Holloman in 1998.

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.
As I stood in the barracks hallway at Rhein-Main Air Base, in Frankfurt, Germany, on the morning of the last day of our NCO Leadership School, I was holding my suitcase and looking down the hall at one of my teammates. He had just entered the hallway with his bags and turned to face me when we heard an extremely loud crashing sound that instantly reminded me of a wall of glass encased bookshelves suddenly crashing to the floor. As the rumble and vibration from the noise reached our senses, we both set down our bags and said, "That was a bomb!"

On the far side of the building we were in, just across the street, a small green car that had been stolen by terrorists, loaded with explosives, and parked in front of the Security Police headquarters building had suddenly exploded. Some people were injured and lay on the ground. Rescue crews and Security Police were there by the time we reached the street and they prevented us from helping for fear that there might be more explosives in the area. My wife was in the US with her family and heard about the attack on the news. She was unable to reach me for several hours and I remember how deeply afraid she had been when I finally spoke with her on the phone.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR OTHER MEMORABILIA, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?

Lt. Gen. Stephen B. Croker presenting the Air Force Achievement Medal

My single Air Force Achievement medal has a particularly special place in my heart. This medal was presented to me by Lt Gen Stephen B. Croker, Commander, 8th Air Force, in recognition of my performance in support of a nuclear generation exercise that involved setting up a classified communications network involving multiple bases and units throughout the United States. According to the citation, I did the six-week job in under 36 hours. The truth is, I found that Air Force people are the best in the world to work with when the time is short. Everyone worked hard and all were extremely flexible so we were able to get everything in place and in time. This was the first and only medal I ever received without some kind of advance notice or suspicion that it was in the works.

WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
SMSgt (USAF/Retired) Ernest Ray Boatwright, or "Boat" as we all call him, was the one military person who had the most significant impact on me and my career. While TDY, I had a vehicle accident that resulted in an Article 15 and a six-month suspended bust from E-4 to E-3.

SSgt Ernest Ray Boatwright

From that day forward, I worked hard to keep my record clean and to re-earn the respect and trust of my peers and my superiors after this mistake. I made the grade for promotion to SSgt a few months after my suspended bust had expired, but my commander red-lined the promotion without a word to my chain of command. SSgt Boatwright, my NCOIC at the time, went to bat for me with the commander, and when the smoke cleared, I had my line number for SSgt. His action restored my faith in the Air Force and convinced me that I had regained the respect of my teammates. My career went up from that day forward, and I give honor to SMSgt Boatwright for teaching me how to be a good and honorable supervisor through his personal example. The only person who ever outshined Ray Boatwright with positive results for my life is my wife of 36 years, Cindy L. (McLaughlin) Bracey. Without her, I doubt that my career would have been as successful as it was.

WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
After approximately one year post-retirement, I went to work at the Kennedy Space Center for Boeing as a technician and inspector on the Payload processing contract for Space Shuttle launches. 2 years later I changed from Space Shuttle payloads to rocket launching with the Boeing Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (The Delta IV). I was there for the last two Defense Satellite Communications Systems (DSCS- III) satellite launches. That was special to me because I was part of the team that first tested the DSCS-III satellites with a Ground Mobile Forces (GMF) AN/TSC-100 Tactical Satellite Communications terminal at the beginning of the DSCS-III operational use by the Air Force, and then served on the team that launched the last two of the constellation's satellites. In 2006, Boeing and Lockheed Martin joined forces to form the United Launch Alliance (ULA) team that processes and launches all of the Atlas and Delta vehicles from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. In December of 2015, I moved to Decatur, Alabama, to work in a Quality Engineer capacity at the factory where we build the launch vehicles. I have the privilege of working in the Integrated Assembly and Check Out areas so I have the joy of sending the completed vehicles off to the launch sites for processing and launch. I love working with the active duty Air Force folks here at the factory!

WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
I have been a member of the Air Force Association for over 35 years. I love the Air Force magazine. I enjoy a pretty good discount from my GEICO car insurance too - as a benefit of membership.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE?
20 years in the Air Force will change you - no matter who you are. I've become a better team member because, even though I started out as a loner with the attitude that I didn't need anyone else to succeed, I was given the opportunity to work for, and with so many of the world's best team leaders and members. I do my best to deliver on my promises because, even though I failed to deliver on many of them in my early years, I learned the value of "follow through" from the many awesome, supportive, and genuine supervisors and teammates I served with over the course of my career.

I've learned never to forget where I came from because I had the privilege of working for some of the best supervisors and commanders who themselves never forgot where they came from. I've learned that if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right from the example of those with whom I served. I've learned that failure is a fact of life - that is, if you are living life - and with every failure, you must learn from it, make the necessary adjustments, then try again. I've learned that no one is perfect, no one can do it alone, no one has all the answers, and no one is ever truly fully in control. Only God has those attributes. Through it all, I have learned that the most important legacy I will leave to this world will be the two young men who call me "Dad" - the same two young men that live life as my "heroes".

BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE AIR FORCE?
Listen to what your teammates and your leaders are telling you. Chances are, they actually know things that you don't know. Take advantage of every training opportunity - it can be the one thing that helps give you that chance to see tomorrow's sunrise. Think of the most complex organism you have ever seen - like the human body. What happens to its effectiveness if one small part fails to function? No part of it, no matter how small, can stand alone.

You are a small part of a very complex organism. Never forget that no matter how insignificant you may feel, or how unimportant you may think your task is today - someone, somewhere is counting on you to get it done, and done correctly - and you are not alone! Never give up! Never, ever let anyone tell you that what you are doing for your country does not matter! Last of all, watch your teammate's back! He or she is watching yours.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.
This website is awesome! It has rekindled my excitement concerning the Air Force, my career, and all of those who touched my life in those 20 years! I am looking forward to re-energizing connections that have been dormant for over a decade.

DB 5/19/2016
ES 01/16/19