RECOGNITION — On the day Dan Wilson, right, retired from the Air Force, Chief Dave Eisenhuth was among those who recognized his accomplishments and thanked him for his 20 years of service to this country. -- Contributed

WINTERSVILLE — In 1983, Wintersville resident Dan Wilson decided to join the United States Air Force. He had just graduated from Jefferson Technical College, earning an associate degree in mechanical engineering technology.

However, mills throughout the Ohio Valley were rapidly closing. As a result, he decided a good way to move forward on the path of life would be to join the military.

He would eventually end up serving during the first Gulf War and again during the Global War on Terrorism.

But first, we will need to learn how he arrived at that point … and that 20-year career would begin in 1984.

Graduating from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Wilson then graduated from Sheppard Air Force Base from air transportation air cargo training.

Stationed now at Howard Air Force Base in the Republic of Panama, he served in air cargo, ramp services, outbound warehouse operations and as an air cargo terminal load planner.

During the four years he was stationed at Howard, his squadron supported Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine operations at the Joint Jungle Training Center in Panama, U.S. Embassy, and active duty operations in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Belize.

Wilson’s squadron also supported U.S. Embassy missions and Navy exercise operations in Columbia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Suriname and Guyana. Some of his most interesting operations involved drug interdiction missions, airlift jump missions at the Jungle Operations Training Center and U.S. Naval Support at Rodman Naval Station.

“While there, I earned my staff sergeant stripes and was awarded my first Air Force commendation medal,” Wilson said. “I met and worked with several fantastic leaders — both commissioned and non-commissioned officers — who I am still in contact with today. They have become my life-long friends. Both of our daughters were born in the Republic of Panama, where they are still dual citizens.”

At Fort Gregg-Adams, Va., Wilson was assigned to the Parachute Rigger School. The year was now 1988. Wilson had become an air training command instructor, teaching members from all branches of the service how to drop supplies and vehicles out of Air Force aircraft.

“That was a very exciting time,” he stated. “I was part of a small Air Force group of non-commissioned officers working alongside and benefiting from the leadership of many Army, Marine and Navy senior non-commissioned officers — many of whom were veterans of the Vietnam War.”

While there, he went on several temporary duties at Fort Liberty, N.C.; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Pearl Harbor and numerous other locations up and down the eastern United States.

“This turned out to be my only permanent station in the U.S.,” he commented. “While there, I earned the Army commendation and achievement medals and a second Air Force commendation medal.

In 1993, Wilson was assigned to RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. He was soon deployed to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, as part of the logistic’s group. He served as an air transportation non-commissioned officer.

While there, he re-deployed to Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia, where he was selected to be lead air cargo non-commissioned officer, leading the re-deployment of the F-22 Stealth aircraft squadron back to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

“That was a very exciting time,” Wilson said. “My team and I prepared and moved millions of pounds of high-value cargo, parts and personnel during a 21-day period. We earned Air Force commendation medals due to our efforts. When I returned to RAF Mildenhall, I worked at an air terminal operations center, capability forecaster/special cargo clearance authority.”

Later that year, he was promoted to technical sergeant.

In 1995, Wilson was selected to lead the Air Clearance Authority.

“Our team worked with Her Majesties’ customs agents to clear supplies and equipment into the United Kingdom,” he explained. “There were many memorable times while stationed there. That included working with the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton to ship numerous World War II artifacts that Her Majesty had directed to be shared with the museum. Another time was when I was sent on temporary duty to Germany, supporting Operation Shining Hope, which provided humanitarian relief to NATO encampments that were established during the breakup and civil war in the former Yugoslavia. ”

While there, Wilson met President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright.

He was soon deployed to Africa, twice. The first deployment was to Senegal and the second, to South Africa on a humanitarian mission. That is when he earned what would become a personal high-point in his life — a humanitarian service medal.

During this period, Wilson received his master sergeant stripe and was awarded the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, having met many more life-long friends.

Around late August 2001, Wilson and his family received a consecutive overseas tour to Germany’s Ramstein Air Base. They arrived three weeks prior to the 9/11 terrorist attack on America.

“On that date, all of our world changed forever,” Wilson recalled. “I was part of the busiest overseas aerial port squadrons in the Air Force and served in the passenger service section for one of the non-commissioned officers in charge. We oversaw the forward deployment of U.S. Special Forces into Afghanistan during the initial pursuit of Osama Bin Laden, and later, the deployment of troops during the buildup to the war in Afghanistan. Later in 2003, my section worked with components of the U.S. Forces in Europe to deploy passengers and cargo for Operation Iraqi Freedom during the beginning of hostilities there.”

In addition to being a primary cargo and passenger hub, Ramstein served as the transfer point for Landstul Regional Hospital. Virtually, all injured service members were brought through the terminal, “adding to the urgency of our mission at Ramstein,” he explained. “From there, I retired from the Air Force and my family and I returned to Wintersville.”

Following Wilson’s retirement from the service, he worked two years as a flood grant coordinator for the Jefferson County Community Action Council. He then began a second career as a veterans representative workforce specialist with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Wilson has literally seen much of the world — including South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the United Kingdom. His job sent him to several states throughout America — including California, Hawaii, North Carolina.

And yet, of all the places he has been, he will be the first to tell you that his greatest point of pride lies right here in Wintersville. For this is his home. This is where he and his wife, MaryBeth, reside. His pride lies with his daughters, Katie and Lindsey. It lies with his four grandsons, Martie, Nick, Ian and Isaac. Family is his proudest achievement in life. His defining moments.

Professionally, his greatest point of pride lies in the ability to connect area veterans with the benefits they earned through their service.

The are veterans who sacrificed their very lives and who should be entitled to the benefits they have earned, he noted.

A Veterans Service Commissioner for Jefferson County, he takes pride in having been involved with the planning and execution of many patriotic holidays recognized in the area.

Wilson explained another particular point of pride involves his grandson’s, two of whom have earned their Eagle Scout rank. The Boy Scouts of America are moments which will forever be etched onto Wilson’s heart, including times when he served with Troop 3 as a merit badge counselor and on many Ohio Valley River Council Boards of Review for Eagle Scouts and Eagle Scout project approvals.

“I have really enjoyed working with Scouts on outings, campouts and projects that have resulted in many Eagle Scouts earning their rank,” he said.

“Over the years, and especially while it was happening, I never realized the impact the military had on my family,” Wilson concluded. “It was all just like real life when it was happening. But, now I hear stories from MaryBeth about friends she made. And my daughters are always quick with a story of something they never would have done, had we not been a military family.”

Wilson retired from the Air Force in 2004. It has been 20 years since he retired his wings. And still, the experiences which he and his family had in those two decades are ones they will all remember forever.