Keeping an eagle-eye on the wing commander

Published June 14, 2007
By Airman 1st Class Kali L. Gradishar
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Standing a few inches short of six feet (ok, maybe more than a few), with the broad shoulders of a powerful warrior and two noble eagles perched on the left and right sides of his collar, Col. Thomas Sharpy, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander, has bled Air Force blue for more than 20 years. He now adds to the mix a few drops of Fairchild and the many amenities that come along with the base and the surrounding area.

"Being here is probably the highlight of my career," said Colonel Sharpy. "I believe every officer aspires to command and to get to do it at this level. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I see my name on the door and ask, 'Is that really me?' It's pretty awesome."

He spent the first twelve years of his life in Dearborn, Mich., the home of Henry Ford's automobile industries, and survived as the youngest of 11 children. From Dearborn, most of the 13-member family packed their belongings and headed to Northlake, Ill., following his fathers' firefighting career that landed him as a Fire Chief. Then, Colonel Sharpy and his family moved to Mesa, Ariz., after his father retired from a 32-year fire fighting career.

"I saw the pride that my father had," said the colonel, spilling recollections of how his father left a college education at the door to join the Navy and fight for his country in World War II.

"I owed it to my father to at least give it a shot," he said of his decision to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. "I thought that it was a great opportunity for the education. I had to learn how to manage my time and prioritize, and for that I am forever grateful. The limited success I've been able to enjoy is partially due to attending the academy."

Since graduating from the academy, Colonel Sharpy claims the highlights of his career are too numerous to list.

"I've been blessed and very fortunate to have had great opportunities. Being able to serve in Desert Shield and Desert Storm was incredible, getting married and having kids; they are all great things," he reminisced, also underlining his opportunities to fly the KC-135, the C-5, and the C-17, and work with some amazing people over the years.

From a pilot in training to a senior military aide to the vice president, he has made his mark at bases nationwide, just as those places and the people that he worked with have made their marks on him.

"I learned from them all," said the colonel. "The only reason I'm a colonel today is because I've had people who have mentored me and taught me how to do things better and had patience when it took me a few tries to learn. I continue to serve because I want to repay them in some way for what they've given me."

Colonel Sharpy brings his prior experience and the lessons he has learned to his command here. With an ever-growing smile on his face, he gets more and more excited about serving here every day, he said.

"I keep waiting for someone to pull the wool out from underneath me and say, 'Hey, this is what it's really like.' Yet everywhere I've been I see Professional Expeditionary Airmen, making the mission happen."

As a major part of every Air Force mission, Colonel Sharpy places a high importance on family and community support. As the youngest of 11 children and as a commander in the Air Force, he places emphasis on taking care of families. And because many families live off base, they are also a large part of the Inland Northwest community.

"We serve for our families," he said. "Community support helps with the families. Most of our military families live in the community and are a part of the community. The great thing about the Greater Spokane community is there is a genuine respect for our service."

Imagine the dedication it takes to lead an entire wing. Imagine the stress that can come from that and the support that is needed to get through the good and the bad. Colonel Sharpy finds that a lot of the support he receives comes from his very own household.

"I have the most courageous wife. She has been an inspiration to me and to many people. Her inspiration encourages me to pick up the pace when I am tired," he said of his wife, Lori. "I've also been blessed with two vibrant young men, Dylan, 13, and Matthew, 10, who keep me rooted."

To the Airmen in need of support and advice, and to every Airman, he recommends to "do the best job you can at every task given. Invest in yourself with education because education will increase your opportunities and open doors for you whether you remain in the Air Force or seek other opportunities. And if you decide to leave, I guarantee that you will never actually leave the Air Force because you will always be a part of it."

The solid structure with an empowering quality now stands with Team Fairchild as the foundation for the metaphorical building blocks of the future of the base.

It is known that ships can be sunk and towers can be toppled. Bridges can be swept away and buildings can be demolished. Yet what stands through the strongest winds and most forceful blows is a strong foundation.

Leading the Force