 |
- OTHER SERVICES VOICES:
- MARINES
 - NAVY
- AIR FORCE
- ARMY
- COAST GUARD
|
An up close and personal interview with Air Force Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
Maj Elza Hisel (USAF 1956-1989)
WHAT PERSUADED YOU TO JOIN THE Air Force?
 The draft, dissatisfaction with my job and the fact that my buddy wanted to join the service. He joined the Navy but I didn’t want to spend all my time overseas so I joined the Air Force and went to Germany the next year while he went to Memphis!
BRIEFLY, WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH?
After tech school I was transferred to Germany. I got married two years later and Security Service kicked me out because they pulled my special access clearance so the Air Force awarded me a different AFSC. I was still in intelligence, but in a billet that didn't require tech school or Special Access clearance. After seven assignments I ended up back at the Intelligence School as an instructor. All the instructors in my section were going to night school, so I started taking courses again as well and I soon completed enough hours to apply for the AF Bootstrap Commissioning program and I got accepted about four months before the age cutoff. I completed the program and after commissioning went through Intelligence Officer's course and then on to Barksdale as 2nd Lt. After five more assignments and lots of night school I finished my Masters degree, which at the time was an unwritten requirement for promotion, and eventually made Major. On my next assignment after that promotion I was at headquarters and decided it was time to retire. During my career I held a total of 11 ranks, 7 enlisted and 4 commissioned, and I spent a total of more than 32 years in the intelligence field, I had assignments in each phase of Intelligence. 
DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN COMBAT OPERATIONS AND IF SO, WHICH ONES??
No, not in a Vietnam definition. My combat experience consisted of three tours with B-52s (D,E,G models) and two with F-4s (C,D models) as nuclear deterrent forces hopefully never having to employ! As an intelligence collection unit in Southeast Asia we were considered direct support to the battle effort and were awarded the VSM.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE CAREER WHAT PARTICULAR MEMORY STANDS OUT AS BEING THE ONE WHICH HAS HAD THE LARGEST IMPACT ON YOU?
 This was my most difficult answer, however, the most memorable was the JFK 5 o’clock news conference for the Cuban missile crisis. I was working in the alert facility that day and the front office told everyone including the aircrews that we were to gather in the TV room for the 5 o’clock news. That was JFK’s speech on drawing the line in the sand that started the showdown. It was a very busy couple of weeks and we dealt with all the numerous changes that were brought about. We were on the front line just a half step behind DEFCON I and the threat of a WWIII. We even had a hangar queen on the line. The feeling was that if it had to it would fly. Memories of lots of individual events that happened during the period with our knowledge that what SAC was showing was the deciding factor for the ships to turn around! One example, our aircrews flying Chrome Dome (northern tier airborne alert) said that the sky across the Northern tier was B-52 upon B-52 lined up nose to tail as far as you could see.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON WOULD YOU SAY HAS HAD THE MOST POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON YOUR AND YOUR CAREER AND WHY?
My answer to this question is also difficult since there was really no “one” person. I had some 16 assignments in more than 32 years with many outstanding supervisors and fellow workers. I had one overseas assignment in Hawaii that lasted 37 months with the same unit. All the rest were shorter including 12 months in Kunsan, 21 months at Beale, 12 months at Monterrey, 17 months and a 22 month tour at Wright-Patt (2 organizations), and 12 months at Vogelweh.
WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER THE SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?
My first objective after completing active duty was survival. I retired in Aug of 1989 with over 32 years intelligence experience. The wall (Berlin & the WP) came down and no one needed intelligence troops anymore. Contract money got tight, therefore intelligence positions got tight. So I settled for temp work while I searched for more permanent employment and I eventually signed on as a "Kelly Girl" doing word processing. The pay was not great but it paid the bills. As a side note this actually turned out to be a great transition job to civilian work. On one of my assignments I ended up with MITRE and after almost a year one of their staff quit to move to Pennsylvania. The vacancy was to write training programs for a new system MITRE was designing for the FAA. I told my boss, the Division Chief, that I was qualified for that position and that I had been an instructor in previous years. He told me to submit my resume which I did and landed the job. The job changed over time, but I ended up spending over 10 years with MITRE. I was fortunate in that some of my Air Force experience had functions that were usable with air traffic control.
Now I am enjoying what I refer to as "retired, retired, retired" from my major careers. I now spend my time playing with my young grandsons one afternoon a week and I play golf on average three days a week. Friday is my house cleaning and shopping day and the weekends are for going to eat Chesapeake Bay crabs in season.
HOW HAS SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACED YOUR LIFE AND CAREER?
My almost 33 years in the Air Force was most of my adult life and career. I essentially had two careers in the Air Force with over 16 years as both an Enlisted man and an Officer, followed by 11 years at MITRE. The multitude of assignments and the lack of any formal training taught me to be flexible. It also taught me to be a “can do” person. Most of my career my offices were small and understaffed so I always tried to do things more simply. I asked my troops to use the same philosophy and over the years I developed a lot of short cuts. I always felt that unless I was told not to do something, I could do it which allowed new ideas to be developed.
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS?
I don't participate with any military associations, when I retired I essentially divorced myself from the military for all intents and purposes, there was no work available in my field (intelligence) so I devoted myself into my civilain career and never really got involved with Associations to any extent.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR THOSE THAT ARE STILL CURRENTLY SERVING?
Hang in there! I would urge anyone who is currently serving to be sure to take advantage of all the training that's available, you never know when it might be useful for you in the future. I would also recommend to take every opportunity to travel, go anywhere they'll send you. Military service represents an oppotunity to travel and see the world that you'll likely never have again, take advantage of it, and don't overlook Space-A travel opportunities as well.
HOW HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU TO MAINTAIN A BOND WITH THE SERVICE AND THOSE YOU SERVED WITH?
 TWS has been a great place to refresh old memories. I have so far met one person I actually worked with, and one that worked down the hall from me on my first assignment. But, many of the stories and postings are the same as my experiences during similar times during my careers. I have developed several friends (wingmen) from the group. I have found that the members of TWS are a most thoughtful and considerate group of folks. That is so very reminiscent of my years in the Air Force. It’s like reading a good book, so interesting that you can’t put it down!
|
Maj Elza Hisel
View Maj Hisel's Shadowbox on TWS
|
|
Share this Voices Edition on:
 |
|
TWS VOICES
TWS Voices are the personal stories of men and women who served in the US Military and convey how serving their Country has made a positive impact on their lives. If you would like to participate in a future edition of Voices, or know someone who might be interested, please contact the TWS Voices Team HERE.
This edition of AirForce Voices was supported by:
AirForce.Togetherweserved.com
For current and former serving Members of the United States Air Force, Army Air Corps, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard TogetherWeServed is a unique, feature-rich resource helping Airmen reconnect with lost Wingmen, share memories and tell their Air Force story.
To join AirForce.Togetherweserved.com, please click HERE.
|
|
