WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A U.S. Air Force veteran enlisted months before 9/11 and said his 22 years serving were life-changing for him and his family.
Chris Thurston had just graduated from Wichita Heights High School and married his high school sweetheart when he enlisted in August 2001.
“I didn’t know what to do with my life, so I decided to join the Air Force,” he said.
Thurston was assigned to basic training in November.
“So I was going in before, but I would have gone in a heartbeat after September 11th,” he said.
After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Thurston continued his tech school training at Shepherd Air Force Base in Texas. Then, he studied bomber avionics at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.
“Tromping around on the flight line on ice that feels like glass under your feet, it just doesn’t break even when you walk on it,” he said.
Kansas Navy veteran who repaired electronic aircraft components spent 15 years in service
The cold weather during his seven years was one reason he decided to continue training, learning a new skill that would take him across the world working on the Airborne Warning and Control System known as AWACS.