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Final flight - Longest serving boom operator passes flag to Reserve son

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dilia DeGrego
  • 305th Air Mobility Wing
MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. --  When Richard Taylor entered the Air Force as an airman basic Sept. 2, 1977, he had no idea he would one day become the Air Force’s longest-serving, active-duty boom operator. 

Today, more than 7,000 flight hours and 28 years of service later, Senior Master Sgt. Taylor, 32nd Air Refueling Squadron boom operator manager and senior boom evaluator retires. 

Sergeant Taylor marked the conclusion of his Air Force career April 17 during his last KC-10 refueling flight, when he “passed the torch” to another boom operator who is a very special person in his life, his son, Senior Airman Richard Taylor, a reservist assigned to the78th Air Refueling Squadron with the 514th Air Mobility Wing here.

“Concluding my time in service in this way was a once in a lifetime chance,” said Sergeant Taylor. “It was a symbolic handoff of the career field, from the oldest boom operator to one of the youngest. It’s a day to remember and one I will always cherish. The camaraderie among booms is the best there is, and we both know how fortunate we are to have - or have had - this job.” 

Airman Taylor said in agreement, “My father has done so much for me, and it was an unbelievable opportunity to be able to give him something so important in return. Making your last contact with your son on the other aircraft doesn’t happen often in the boom operator career field, so it was my honor to be an integral part of his last flight. 

“When I made my final boom contact on my father’s aircraft, and just after I disconnected our two aircraft, he said something over the radio that I will never forget. He looked at me from about 100 feet away and said, ‘Alright Rick, you’ve got the flag.’ 
“If I didn’t have enough pride in my job before, I definitely do now. After hearing that from my father, it really hurts to see him go,” said Airman Taylor. “But if he trusts me to carry on for him, I’m sure I can handle it. All of my other great Air Force memories take a back seat to the day I got to help my father say goodbye to the job he loves. If I can carry the flag half as high as he has, I will consider my life a success.” 

During the last two years, father and son have come very close to seeing each other on the road, or rather in the air, but never actually did. So, it was amazing, Airman Taylor said, to finally be able to look at and talk to his father tens of thousands of feet in the air.
“My father and I have differences of opinions about a lot of things, like most fathers and sons do. But, the two things we never argue about are The Beach Boys and how great it is to have this job,” he said. “It was only fitting for us to do this together and say our last airborne goodbyes to each other. The sky will not be the same without his presence up there - it will be a lot quieter and never again as exciting.” 

As Sergeant Taylor looks toward his future, he finds himself reflecting on his past.
“Our Air Force has changed in many, many ways since 1977, and for the most part, it is better,” he said. “We lose site of some of the good things because of the pace we keep, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. 

“In the words of President John Kennedy, ‘Don’t do it because it’s easy, do it because it’s hard.’ This is my advice to those just joining our Air Force and to those contemplating separation,” Sergeant Taylor added. “I can’t imagine not having served in the Air Force. This career has taken me further than I could have imagined. I’ve done things and gone places I never knew existed, and through it all, I’ve gained an immense appreciation for what we have in this country. I am forever grateful for the experience, and for the chance to wear the blue uniform and the flight fatigues of the aircrew.” 

With his son now carrying the torch, Sergeant Taylor said he looks forward to catching up with his wife and three younger children in Binghamton, N.Y., spending time with friends and drinking a cup of coffee on the porch of his new home. As for working again, that’s sure to follow, he said, but what he’ll do and when he’ll start are yet to be determined.