Colonel Samuel T. Williams

So in February of 1974 I cut off my long blond locks and enlisted in the United States Army. Boot camp at Fort Ord, California then off to Fort Carson, Colorado. After a year I put in my paperwork to attend Officer Candidate School and headed to Fort Benning, Georgia. After 6 months of training I was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. After Airborne and Ranger training I received advanced training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I trained at Fort Sill for 6 months and then was assigned to South Korea for 18 months.

It was in Korea that I discovered I loved to fly. I applied for flight school and started training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Was there every a moment in your life when you said to yourself "I know how to do this?" That's how it was with me and being a pilot. I was born with a natural ability to fly and that was to come in very handy over the next thirty years. During this stretch of time I survived many helicopter accidents and one airplane crash. Engine failures were the cause of all these accidents. I received several "Broken Wing" awards for landing a damaged aircraft and never having anyone get hurt. After flight school I was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. God, life was good, I was young, married, little kids running around and of course I was flying everyday and loving life.

In between all my training and assignments I found out that I really did have what it takes to graduate from college. In 1983 I received a Bachelors degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In 1985 I graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College. In 1989 I received a Masters degree in Airline Management from Embry-Riddle.

I continued to be promoted and in 1980 I was a Captain and an Aviation Company Commander. Assignments' to California, New York, Massachusetts and Texas then back to Alabama, a promotion to Major and Command of a Helicopter Evacuation Unit in California brought me to our twenty year class reunion in 1989. I did receive a lot of negative remarks about being in military uniform at the reunion but that is truly one of the wonderful aspects of our country, as a citizen you have the freedom to express your views.

Right after the reunion I was mobilized to Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I spent the next year in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. When I got back to California I was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given command of a Battalion. In 1992 I was selected to attend the Army's airplane flight school. This was quit an honor as only a handful of Army pilots ever get to fly both helicopters and airplanes. I attended the U.S. Army Command and Staff College in Kansas and taught 2 years at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Then the big surprise in my military career, I was promoted to Colonel. I could never have imagined as a youth growing up in Rio Linda that I would be flying helicopters and airplanes in the Army and also be a Colonel.

In 2004 I was mobilized to attend advanced communications training at Fort Bliss, Texas. I would spend the next eighteen months in the Middle East. My 9 months in Iraq were by far the most fulfilling of my career. I worked closely with the Iraqi people and grew to admire and appreciate them and there culture. As the senior military officer in charge of all transportation and communications reconstruction I got to know the nineteen different tribes and even learned to speak Iraqi. During my tour in Iraq I was sent to Berlin, Germany to factory test classified communications equipment. I called Brenda and she was able to meet me in Berlin and we spent the weekend in Prague, Czechoslovakia for our honeymoon. I am extremely pleased and content with the work I did in Iraq and know that they will have a great country someday.

As with all things in life my career with the Army came to an end. Over the course of thirty-four years I traveled to almost every country on the planet, even learned to speak several languages and learn about many cultures. During my career I was fortunate to work for good people and receive great assignments. I was awarded many of our nation's highest honors to include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. During the course of those years I became a pilot-in-command of 6 different types of helicopters and 3 types of airplanes. My biggest thrill and honor came in March of 2007 when I was nominated for and elected into the "Military Officers Hall of Fame". My wife, Brenda and I attended the ceremonies and I was very humbled by the expression of gratitude from our country.

Brenda and I currently live in Sacramento and are looking to purchase land in Northern Nevada so that I may enjoy the rest of my years as a "Gentleman Farmer." We have 5 children between us and 2 wonderful grandkids. It will be an honor and a pleasure to see all of you again.

NOTE: Bio was prepared for our 40 Year Reunion in 2009.