Photo By Staff Sgt. Frederick Brown | Charlie Toomer, 9th Maintenance Squadron egress systems craftsman, took an official...... read more read more
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BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Charlie Toomer, 9th Maintenance Squadron egress systems craftsman, joined the Air Force in November of 1970. Originally from Georgia, he wanted to follow his brother and work on the railroad.
However, with the Vietnam War raging on, his draft number came up and Toomer was given a choice; get placed in the military branch the government wanted or make his own decision. He picked the Air Force and will tell anyone today, it’s the best choice he ever made.
Toomer looks back upon his over forty-year career with happiness for all his experiences. His first base was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina followed by a Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) to Thailand, before being stationed at Beale in October of 1975. He then was moved to Okinawa, Japan to work on the SR-71 Blackbird before returning to Beale in 1983 where he served until retirement in June 1993.
He was the egress section chief at Beale from 1988 to his retirement, serving 22 years of Active Duty in the United States Air Force. Through years of training and practice, Toomer encourages every maintainer, including himself, not to become complacent and always read their Training Order (TO).
“If you do your job correctly in Egress, you could save a pilot’s life,” said Toomer. “If something is wrong with the aircraft or its shot down, you put the pilot at risk when you do something wrong.”
Both times Toomer was stationed at Beale, he was deploying every four months for two-month increments, going wherever the SR-71 or U-2 Dragon Lady would go. Despite the challenges of constant movement, he loved visiting different states and countries.
Growing up, Toomer never had the opportunity to travel. After joining the Air Force, he was able to see Japan, England, Thailand, and Korea. He also loved working on his favorite aircraft, the SR-71.
In 2002, when the opportunity to come back as a civilian working on U-2’s presented itself, Toomer knew his life would lead back to the Air Force. He took pride in his service, loved his job and didn’t see any reason not to go back.
He never thought he’d still be working for the Air Force in his 70’s, however, serving his country and working on ejection seats that can save the life of pilot’s made Toomer feel important. Most of all, he felt blessed.
“The Air Force gave me a good life and allowed me to travel, so I made a career out of it,” said Toomer. “When I was offered the chance to came back as a civilian, I jumped on it”.
Toomer always felt he was at the right place at the right time. He got to make a career out of serving his country, did a job that saved lives and always worked with great people who made his career more fulfilling.
“I am thankful for the help and support I have received from my supervisors, egress personnel, and many others,” said Toomer. “I truly believe prayers from my family and friends as well as blessings from above have made my life journey possible”.
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2024 20:50 |
| Story ID: | 487753 |
| Location: | BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Egress to Excellence: Charlie Toomer’s Story, by SSgt Frederick Brown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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