Photo By Chad Watkins | Garrett and Stephen Cobb tour an RC-135 RIVET JOINT during a base tour at Offutt Air...... read more read more
Subscribe
Stephen Cobb and his son, Garrett, toured Offutt Air Force Base on July 19, 2024.
Stephen is the son of retired Chief Master Sgt. Lawrence Cobb, a 55th Wing Hall of Fame inductee.
“It’s nice to come back to where you were born,” said Stephen Cobb. “I have lots of memories from here.”
During their visit, the Cobbs were able to tour the RC-135 Rivet Joint as well as Cobb Hall; a dormitory named in honor of CMSgt. Cobb in 2019.
“I didn’t expect this much coming up here, but seeing what my father accomplished was amazing and I really appreciated the tour,” said Stephen Cobb. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience.”
“I didn’t know much about what he did and didn’t have the opportunity to ask him.” Garrett said. “While I had a sense of how important he was, it didn’t really hit me until I got to see it.”
During the tour of the base, the Cobbs were able to meet with Chief Master Sgt. John Splitter, 55th Mission Support Group command chief, as well as Chief Master Sgt. William Jancouskas, 55th Maintenance Group command chief.
“As a chief in the Air Force, [CMSgt Cobb] really shaped the lives of thousands of Airmen in the United States Air Force,” said Splitter. “That’s something that not everyone can say is a part of their family lineage.”
CMSgt. Cobb’s relationship with the 55th Wing began in 1962 working on the technical signals platform of the ERB-47 at Forbes AFB, Kansas. He then moved with the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing to Offutt in 1966 where he continued his career with the newer RC-135 platform.
In 1974, CMSgt. Cobb transferred to the aircraft depot in Greenville, Texas where he continued his work on the RC-135. He retired from the Air Force in 1983 but continued to work as a contractor with the Big Safari program in Greenville. Altogether, Cobb dedicated more than 40 years to improving 55th Wing combat mission systems. For his contributions, he was inducted into the 55th Wing Hall of Fame in 2008.
“The one thing that stands out about my dad, is how much of his life he gave to this,” said Stephen Cobb. “He was working three days before he died, he wouldn’t give it up - that’s how much he loved this.”
| Date Taken: | 07.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.03.2024 12:00 |
| Story ID: | 482441 |
| Location: | OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Legacy Remembered, by Destiny Walker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
