Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire, graduated in 1977. Military Service: United States Air Force, 1977 to 1985. Made it to the rank of Captain, performing duties of Ground Control Intercept Controller for 6 years, Squadron Adjutant for 2. Current Occupation: Technical Analyst for the 2nd largest processor of credit cards in the United States. Billions and billions of dollars pass through our systems annually. I research and fix problems, write macro scripts and data director formats, as well as act as second level production support in a team of some 10 other analysts and engineers. I got where I am today I know not how. I built 100's of model airplanes when I was a kid, and read science fiction like mad. Lost in Space, Star Trek - the original air dates. Visits to see Star Wars into 3 digits. Joined the Civil Air Patrol when I was 13. Generally, the prototypical geek. Most of my schooling was in New Hampshire; I went to a college prep high school, and wound up going to the state university because it was close to home and that was where my eldest brother went. Did the Air Force ROTC 'country club' method of getting my Lieutenant's bars, and went to Undergraduate Navigator Training when I went on active duty. That turned out to be a great lead-in to the career field I ultimately wound up in - Ground Control Intercept officer, more commonly known as a Weapons Controller or Weapons Director. Needless to say that conditions prevailed that precluded my becoming a military aviator. T'was the pits, but it does take copious quanitities of "The Right Stuff" to be one of those guys or gals. It is WAY different than what we do with our PC's and cockpits. Enthusiasm and desire aren't always the sole ingredients for success. Anyway... I generally had a blast serving my country, with lots of terrific memories. Did the mobile radar unit gig in Florida while catching plenty of sun, saw Bears in Alaska (the Red Kind), controlled at Red Flag, and helped defend the country in one of the last NORAD SAGE blockhouses. While wearing the blue suit, I snagged 6 T-37 flights, 1 T-33 flight, 1 E-3A Sentry flight, 1 glorious F-106 Delta Dart flight <VBFG!!!> and a loong 12 hour mission to Red Flag in a B-52. Some seriously fun stuff, the sort one never forgets. Along the way got my pilot's license to fly sailplanes. I left the military when it seemed like a good idea (sorta was, sorta wasn't) and tried a few different careers - some by choice, some otherwise. I was working in the home improvement industry, really picking up some good computer skills both in my PC hobby and on the job when the bottom fell out, and the store I was working at closed. One of my buddies at the store used his former experience as a computer operator in the military to get back into the field, and he helped me get into the computer industry too (Information Technology... excuse me..) It's been fun, and I've enjoyed tons of professional growth. Funny - an aptitude test I took in the Air Force said I was nowhere's near qualified to work in computers. How el-wrongo that was. Like I say, I got where I am today I know not how. Fate has been really screwball to this kid. Can't wait to see what the next 45 years will bring.... but it will definitely be bringing a completed cockpit VERY SOON! 
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