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Air Force
OCS Class 61-C
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Here's the latest
on
Michael
J. (Mike) Kavanaugh
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OC
Capt Michael J. Kavanaugh |
Mike & Sally at 2005 Reunion |
| SSgt "Mike" Kavanaugh came to Coca Flt an Atomic Weapons Fuzing Spec. In Dec, OC Capt Kavanaugh became Wing Asst Dir of Material. Graduating in the top quarter of our class and was sent to Lowry AFB, CO for Avionics Maint but at MacDill, they needed munitions-types and when the EOD officer resigned, Lt Kavanaugh volunteered to replace. He graduated EOD school in '62 (in time for the Cuban missile crisis) and headed for Griffiss AFB (B-52/Hound Dogs). An assignment to Pease followed - Mike supporting 2 B-47 wings. While TDY to Lockbourne, 8AF called needing a replacement EOD-type in Vietnam. (They wanted a captain but a 1Lt volunteer would do.) Mike parked his '64 XKE at Pease and 2 days later, was disarming his first booby trap outside the perimeter fence at Tan San Nhut. He ran into classmates Bostic and Maisey (see: Missing Men) in 'Nam. Mike then had a short tour at Offutt. "...didn't like Hq so much...volunteered to go back to SEA. Took 15 months to wear down a CMSgt (personnel) to get reassigned," Mike writes. "Did a year at Don Muang (Bangkok)...mobile EOD work...Spent 4 months at Nakhon Phanom (SOW)." CONUS assignment was to Louisiana (Bossier Base and then, Barksdale). Mike then went to be AFMPCs EOD/munitions personnel expert. Mike's next stop: Pentagon, Log Div, "leaving heel marks all the way," Mike remembers. "At Hq USAF, I was EOD action officer, logistical support for chem-bio warfare systems, and any other dirty little jobs no one else would touch...I chose to retire at age 39. . ." Major, 22 yrs. Mike (married at age 35) says that after he'd put in for retirement, wife, Sally, announced that she was pregnant -- his retirement ceremony featured a two-month- old baby daughter providing the background "music." After retirement, Mike and family moved back to San Antone where he earned his BA and began a second career as a CPA. "Bummer," Mike says, "as bad as lawyers." Mike is a WWI aviation history buff and does aircraft modeling of that era. |