Air Warrior Hero of the Month

This month in “Hanger Talk”, we asked Lt Col Clete Knaub, USAF, Retired, to share with us his thoughts and passion for airpower. 

I"ve had the distinct honor and pleasure to work under this patriots’ command with the B-1B Bomber.  He is a highly respected officer by his peers, as well as those who worked for him.

Thank you, Lt Col Clete Knaub for your service to our nation and sharing a little bit about yourself.   <Salute>

-Air Warrior Coffee Company

 

CLETE KNAUB, Lt Col, USAF, Retired

 

"I am father of one, married 35 years.  Three years enlisted in the US Army.  Nineteen years in US Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer.  Retired as a Lt Col.

 

Bombers!  Hell yeah.  I have two aerospace passions in my life.  Bombers and the knuckle dragging, nose picking men and women maintainers who bust ass to put the “power” in airpower.

 

I am a blessed man.  Most of my Air Force time was around bombers, B-52 and B-1s.  I also got to command two squadrons.  The 5MXS at Minot AFB where we did the heavy maintenance on B-52s.  I ended my career as the first commander of the 28AMXS at Ellsworth AFB where I had 28 Bones to take care of and 740 men and women patriots to keep them in the air.

 

Due to the miracles of Face Book, I am friends with a retired Soviet air force colonel.  He is me, only he wore a different uniform.  It has been interesting to hear about his life and several time he has mentioned that the Soviet Union lost a lot of sleep worrying about the B-52.

 

Of course, without the maintenance muscle, all airplanes would just be static displays.  To this day I stand in awe of the “can do” attitude of maintainers.  Tell them what needs to happen and then get out of their way because maintainers WILL get the job done.  Blizzard coming?  Ain’t nothing but a thing.  Heat and dirt in a Mid-Eastern sandstorm?  Give us an extra bottle of water and watch what magic looks like.

 

Maintainers don’t close for training.  Maintainers work long hours and on weekends because they will never be found wanting in generating overwhelming air power supremacy. 

 

People ask me what I miss about the Air Force.  I miss two things.  The mission, I miss being associated with something that is so much bigger than myself.  And I miss the people, the finest Americans in the nation.  I thank God for being associated with bombers and the men and women who maintain them.  God bless them all.

 

Now for some B 52 BUFF Bold!"

 

 

 B-52 004  “The other woman in my life.  My wife knows about her. She is cool with it.”