Runion, Bryan, LT

Line Officer
 
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Life Member
 
 Service Photo   Service Details
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Current Service Status
USNR Veteran
Current/Last Rank
Lieutenant
Current/Last Primary NEC
132X-Unrestricted Line Officer - Naval Flight Officer
Current/Last Rating/NEC Group
Line Officer
Primary Unit
1980-1982, AT-8284, VAQ-33 Firebirds/Night Hawks
Previously Held NEC
ATR-0000-Aviation Electronics Technician Radar and Radar Navigation Equipment
AT-8284-EP-3 Electronics Warfare Operator
AT-8265-Flight Communications Operator
137X-Unrestricted Line Officer - Naval Flight Officer ( In Training)
Service Years
1979 - 1993
Official/Unofficial US Navy Certificates
Cold War
Sailor of the Quarter
Sailor of the Year
Voice Edition
Lieutenant Lieutenant


 Ribbon Bar
Naval Flight Officer Wings
Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist Badge
Air Crew Wings

 

 Official Badges 

Battle E US Navy Honorable Discharge US Naval Reserve Honorable Discharge Navy Officer Honorable Discharge




 Unofficial Badges 

Cold War Medal Cold War Veteran Admiral Flatley Aviation Safety Award


 Military Associations and Other Affiliations
United States Navy Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC)Branch 89Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)Reserve Organization of America
Gulf Coast ChapterNavy Together We ServedAir Force Together We ServedPost 6
Flotilla 082-01-07
  1976, United States Navy Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC) - Assoc. Page
  1982, Fleet Reserve Association (FRA), Branch 89 (Member) (Atlanta, Georgia) - Chap. Page
  1991, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) - Assoc. Page
  1993, Reserve Organization of America
  2002, Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), Gulf Coast Chapter (Keesler AFB, Mississippi)
  2010, Navy Together We Served
  2010, Air Force Together We Served
  2010, American Legion, Post 6 (Member) (Kokomo, Indiana) - Chap. Page
  2023, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Flotilla 082-01-07 (Member) (Indiana) - Chap. Page


 Additional Information
What are you doing now:

 Retired after a combined 45 years of military and civilian service with the Navy, Navy Reserve, Air Force, and Air Force Reserve. Continuing to serve as a volunteer with the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.  Met my wife in Indiana, and we call that home now, and we have two young adult sons.


Best Moment
Enlisted in the Navy on Jan 29 1979, two days after my 18th birthday. My Mom would not sign for me as a 17 year old. I wanted to enlist earlier. I was ready to go in the Navy. I used to go to the Recruiters office a lot and watch recruiting films, get posters, stickers, etc. I looked at all the services. My first interest was the Coast Guard, then I had thoughts about the Seabees. For a while, I looked at the Army National Guard and was going to do that plus be in Army ROTC at North Georgia College. However, I was in the Sea Cadets and that steered me towards the Navy. I knew I wanted to be an Aircrewman and for the longest time wanted to be an AW. However, one of the recruiters said, "When you get out of the Navy, are you going to be able to get a job with Delta Airlines as an AW". With that, I decided to become an AT and then volunteered for Aircrew duty when I got to "A" School, and the rest is history.
   

Worst Moment
Not really a worst moment, but I will never forget the long day on July 6 1979 when I headed off to Boot Camp. My Dad dropped me off that morning with the Recruiter. I then was taken to the AFEES station in Atlanta and we spent all day there; we then headed off to the Atlanta airport and I went on my first flight on a commercial jetliner. We spent a long evening at the Orlando airport before the bus finally came and got us to take us to Boot Camp. I remember we got there in the wee hours of the morning and started in-processing after what was an already long day. I also remember we were issued shaving kits the first night. This was the late 1970s and some of the guys had to shave off their beards with Bic razors that night. I was glad I wasn't in that boat.
    

Chain of Command
Recruiter: BM2 Mike Pike, Navy Recruiting Station, Marietta GA.
   

Other Memories
I was a senior in high school and also in the Navy Sea Cadet program. I was originally suppossed to go to Boot Camp in September. However, my recruiter had an opening in the 3 X 6 Program, which meant I could go to Boot Camp in July. I had just graduated high school in June when I got the call and was working at Williams Bros. Lumber Co. I was ready to go and did not want to wait until September, so I changed my contract so I could go to Boot Camp earlier. The 3 X 6 program was a good decision as I had a two-year reserve obligation and went directly into the Reserve when I got off active duty to attend college.

   
Other Comments:

Between my Navy and Air Force service, I had 41 total years of military service, of which 17 years were on active duty status. I was promoted to  Col in the Air Force Reserve in 2014 and retired in 2020.  Served from 2019 to 2024 as an Air Force civilian. 

Here is a link to my Air Force Page on TWS:

http://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=Profile&type=Person&ID=118780
 

   

 Enlisted/Officer Basic Training
Click here to see Training
  1979, Recruit Training (Orlando, FL), 163
  1988, Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) (Pensacola, FL), 015
 Unit Assignments
NATTC (Staff)  Memphis, Naval Air Technical Training Command (Staff)Fleet Combat Training Center Atlantic (Staff)NTTCD Corry Station, Pensacola, FL (Staff)VAQ-33 Firebirds/Night Hawks
VR-46 EaglesSchool Assignments - StaffVT-10 Cosmic CatsNaval Air Training Unit (Staff)
VP-62 Broad ArrowsAir Force Reserve Command, US Air Force (USAF)
  1979-1980, ATR-0000, NATTC (Staff) Memphis, Naval Air Technical Training Command (Staff)
  1980-1980, ATR-0000, Fleet Combat Training Center Atlantic (Staff)
  1980-1980, ATR-0000, NTTCD Corry Station, Pensacola, FL (Staff)
  1980-1982, AT-8284, VAQ-33 Firebirds/Night Hawks
  1982-1988, AT-8265, VR-46 Eagles
  1988-1988, 137X, Academics Department (Staff) Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS)
  1988-1988, 137X, VT-10 Cosmic Cats
  1989-1989, 137X, Naval Air Training Unit (Staff)
  1989-1993, 132X, VP-62 Broad Arrows
  1993-Present, Air Force Reserve Command, US Air Force (USAF)
 Combat and Non-Combat Operations
  1980-1980 Mariel Boatlift (Cuba)
  1993-1993 Operation Sharp Guard (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

 Photo Album   (More...


Reflections on LT Runion's US Navy Service
 
 Reflections On My Service
 
PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY.
I was in the Naval Sea Cadet program in high school. It was a great experience. It was just like being in the Naval Reserve. We attended drill weekends at NAS Atlanta and even got to work in the shops on base. As a Sea Cadet, I went to a
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - Please describe who or what influenced your decision to join the Navy.
Sea Cadets 1978
two-week mini Boot Camp in Orlando and also went on three summer cruises: USS Forrestal (aircraft carrier), USS Boulder (LST), and USS Meredith (DD). I wanted to go into the Navy right after high school, which I did.

I wanted to go in the Delayed Entry Program at 17, but my Mom would not sign for me. So, two days after I turned 18, I enlisted. I retired with a total of 41 years of military service from my Navy and Air Force Reserve service.

So, I think my Mom thought it turned out ok. However, it would have been 42 years, instead of 41, if she would have come around earlier :-).

Also interesting is that I had more sea time as a Sea Cadet than I did in the Navy. I went on three different ships for summer cruises as a Sea Cadet. However, I was land-based the whole time I was in the actual Navy.
WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BOOT CAMP AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, SHIPS OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
As an Enlisted, I completed Recruit Training at Orlando, then went to "AT" A School in Memphis. While in "A" School, I volunteered for Aircrew duty, and I was selected. I then attended Aircrew, Electronic Warfare, and SERE schools. My first duty station was NAS Key West FL, with VAQ-33
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - Whether you were in the service for several years or as a career, please describe the direction or path you took. Where did you go to boot camp and what units, bases, ships or squadrons were you assigned to? What was your reason for leaving?
NAS Jacksonville Flight Line 1993
flying as an Electronic Warfare Operator on the last C-121 Super Connie (NC-121K) in the Navy. After active duty, I decided to attend college, and also I had a two-year reserve obligation. In the Navy Reserve, I flew on C-118s as a Flight Communications Operator and Flight Attendant. When the unit transitioned to C-9s, I then flew as a Flight Attendant/Loadmaster. I advanced to AT1 and was selected for the Navy Reserve Officer Sea-Air Mariner (OSAM) commissioning program.

I completed Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) at NAS Pensacola, FL, and then went on to Basic NFO (Naval Flight Officer) training in Pensacola and then joint service Navigator Training at Mather AFB, CA. I flew as a P-3 NFO with VP-62 at NAS Jacksonville. In 1991, I completed my active duty OSAM training. I wanted to go regular Navy, but I was caught up in the drawdown and then became a drilling reservist with VP-62. I also worked for a year as a Navy Civilian, GS employee, in the Communications Center at Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, GA. Then in 1992, I was selected for a full-time Air Reserve Technician (ART) Officer position, and in April 1993, I transferred from the Navy Reserve to the Air Force Reserve. I was not selected for a flying position, but my maintenance experience paid off, and I became an Aircraft Maintenance Officer with the Air Force Reserve. I later cross-trained into the Logistics Readiness career field.

I retired from the Air Force Reserve as a Colonel. I am currently working full-time as an Air Force civilian at Grissom ARB IN, and I am presently a Wing Process Manager/GS-12.
IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY?
No, not in actual combat. However, I did fly on antisubmarine patrol missions and counter-drug missions as a Navigator/Communicator on the P-3. I was on P-3 missions where we spotted Soviet vessels, and we even tracked a Russian sub on one of my deployments to Scotland. I would say
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - If you participated in any military operations, including combat, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, please describe those which made a lasting impact on you and, if life-changing, in what way?
P-3 from VP-62 NAS Jacksonville
that makes me a "Cold War" Veteran.

In the Air Force Reserve, in 2006-2007, I was deployed for five months to HQ EUCOM, Patch Barracks, Germany, working in J4/Logistics. We coordinated and monitored the movement of U.S. and NATO Forces supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. In 2011-2012, I was mobilized for six months and worked at HQ CENTCOM, MacDill AFB, FL, working in J4/Logistics in support of Enduring Freedom.

I've been more in a supporting role and not in actual combat operations.

I did get involved in one humanitarian mission in the Navy. I was stationed at NAS Key West FL during the Cuban Refugee crisis in 1980. I worked in the 1st Lt Div as an Airman at the time, and my contribution was helping prepare a barracks at one of the naval station annexes in Key West for the arrival of refugees.
DID YOU ENCOUNTER ANY SITUATION DURING YOUR MILITARY SERVICE WHEN YOU BELIEVED THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY YOU MIGHT NOT SURVIVE? IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME.
I had a couple of scary incidents while flying as a Naval Aircrewman. On the Connie (NC-121K), we were flying back from NS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, to NAS Key West, Florida. Somewhere out over the Caribbean, we lost an engine, and the plane was also heavy as we were
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - Did you encounter any situation during your military service when you believed there was a possibility you might not survive? If so, please describe what happened and what was the outcome.
Naval Aircrewman Wings
loaded down coming back from a deployment. We took protective measures and put on our life vests. I also assisted with drafting an emergency radio message (I also served as an HF Radio Operator on the Connie). We were also discussing as a crew what items could be jettisoned off the aircraft. However, we were able to limp into Nassau in the Bahamas. Not too bad, we got to spend the night there. Then the next day, a Navy C-12 came and picked most of us up and took us back to Key West while the Flight Engineers and the Mechanics worked on the plane.

The other scary incident was as a C-9 Aircrew member, flying near a hail storm. I was up in the Loadmasters seat, behind the cockpit, and I could hear hail beating the airplane. After we landed, we saw the hail damage on the aircraft's nose radome.

In my Navy career, I flew combined over 2800 hours as an Aircrewman and an NFO, and those are the only two incidents in my flying career that I can remember where I was scared. The rest of the time, my flying career was great, and I loved it!
OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
My favorite duty station and assignment in the Navy was Naval Air Station Key West FL with VAQ-33. That was my first duty assignment in the Navy, and I could not have asked for anything better. I flew on the last C-121 Super Connie (NC-121K) in the Navy, and I
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - Of all your duty stations or assignments, which one do you have fondest memories of and why? Which was your least favorite?
NAS Key West Florida emblem
had a great crew that I flew with. I was a 19-year old "AT" Airman when I first checked into the squadron. I got to fly all over the Caribbean with multiple trips made to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, and St. Croix, Virgin Islands. I also went on deployments to NAS Miramar CA and NAS Oceana VA. I was on the flight crew for the Connie's final flight in June 1982, as it was retired and then put on display at a museum in Florence, SC.

I am still in contact with three of the shipmates that I flew on the Connie with, and that was over 38 years ago now.

I honestly can't think of a least favorite. Probably my least favorite experience was going through SERE training at NAS Brunswick, Maine. That was where they put us in the simulated POW camp. However, before and after SERE, I loved my time in Maine.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - From your entire military service, describe any memories you still reflect back on to this day.
NC-121K from VAQ-33, NAS Key West
My best time in the military by far was my assignment with VAQ-33 at NAS Key West, FL. I loved flying on the Connie (NC-121K). Also, when I didn't fly, I liked being out on the flight line and working on airplanes as an Avionics Technician (worked on F-4, A-3, A-4, A-6, in addition to the NC-121K). I made great friends that I still stay in touch with (over 38 years later). It was special flying on the last Connie in the Navy, and I also was a crew member on its last flight. We had a great crew and went to some neat places (NAS Miramar CA, NAS Oceana VA, Dobbins AFB GA for a Hurricane Evac, Roosevelt Roads Puerto Rico, St. Croix Virgin Islands, and Nassau, Bahamas). Since it was the last Connie that was on active service in the Navy, it was a conversation piece everywhere that we went. It was a phenomenal experience for a 19-year old Airman.
WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR MILITARY CAREER?
In my long military career, I am most proud of graduating from Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS). It was 15 weeks with a Marine Drill Instructor (SSgt Donahue), who I will never forget, and it was the hardest physical training I ever had in the military. I was one of
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - What professional achievements are you most proud of from your military career?
AOCS Graduation
only five that started with my class and then graduated with my original class. We had several that dropped back in training, and then we picked up others along the way, but there were only five of us that were with the original class from start to finish.

On my awards, I had several ribbons and medals from my time in the Navy and the Naval Reserve, but no, none of them were for Valor. The most special was that I earned a Navy Achievement Medal as a Petty Officer First Class, serving as a C-9 Flight Attendant NATOPS (Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization) Instructor. As a reservist, I spent a lot of my own personal time developing monthly training plans, a newsletter, and quizzes that were mailed to the Flight Attendants. When I wasn't going to school (college), I spent most of my spare time flying and working with the Navy Reserve. I think that the personal initiative I had was recognized, and it resulted in the Navy Achievement Medal, which was rare back in those days (1987) for an enlisted Reservist to receive. It meant something back then to get an Achievement Medal.
OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR OTHER MEMORABILIA, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
My Navy Achievement Medal as a NATOPS Instructor on the C-9 aircraft means the most to me. I received that as an enlisted E-6/Petty Officer First Class in the Naval Reserve in 1987. Back in those days, Achievement Medals were not given out freely, and it really meant something. I
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - Of all the medals, awards, formal presentations and qualification badges you received, or other memorabilia, which one is the most meaningful to you and why?
Navy Achievement Medal
was attending college full-time and working/flying with the Navy Reserve every chance that I had. On my own initiative, I developed a monthly newsletter, aircrew training guides, and quizzes that were mailed to the Flight Attendants before our drill weekends. I think that the extra initiative and the personal time that I put in as a reservist resulted in the Achievement Medal.

Also special was my EAWS (Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist) Wings that I earned in 1986. I was one of the first three sailors in my squadron (VR-46) to complete the EAWS qual when it came out for the Navy Reserve. It was strictly a volunteer qualification back then, not mandatory like it is today. My OIC said that earning the EAWS was like having a Masters Degree in Aviation.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
It is hard to nail it down to one person. But, if I had to pick one, I would say AT1 Billy Stegall that I flew with on the Connie. I was 19 years old when I reported to VAQ-33 at NAS Key West. I was a young, naive Airman.
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - Which individual(s) from your time in the military stand out as having the most positive impact on you and why?
AT2 Runion in front of Connie, NAS Key West, 1982
Billy was like a father figure to me. He got me out of the barracks, got me involved in church, and had me over at his house for dinner several times. He took me under his wing, and he was a good influence. I remember him teaching me how to be a Supervisor after I made Second Class. I tended to try to do everything myself, and he taught me how to delegate. He also vouched for me on my re-enlistment recommendation. As a side benefit, I dated his daughter for a while. However, I caught hell from the guys in my shop one time when Billy let me off, and I went bowling with his daughter.

Needless to say, that relationship didn't pan out. However, I stayed in touch with Billy until he died in 1998, and I still stay in touch with his family members to this day.
LIST THE NAMES OF OLD FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH, AT WHICH LOCATIONS, AND RECOUNT WHAT YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT THEM. INDICATE THOSE YOU ARE ALREADY IN TOUCH WITH AND THOSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH.
I still stay in touch with members that I flew with at NAS Key West over 38 years ago. One is my best friend, Vince Jarzembowski, who was also my best man at my wedding. We have known each other since 1981.

Another is Janson Booth, one of our Flight
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them. Indicate those you are already in touch with and those you would like to make contact with.
Me and a Navy buddy (Pigpen)
Mechanics, who was also known as "Pigpen" because as a "Mech," he always had greasy dungarees.

I also stay in touch with Steve Armstrong, a "CT" that flew with us and is also active on TWS.

I also still stay in touch with people that I served within the Navy Reserve, VR-46, NAS Atlanta. They have reunions every year that occasionally I've been able to go to. Also, I have an Army doctor friend that I was on deployment with in Germany back in 2007. We have stayed in touch ever since then (over 13 years now).

Also, a friend of mine from AOCS and Navigator training, Doug Cox, came to my retirement ceremony from the Air Force Reserve, and I had not seen him in 30 years!

Thanks to the military, I have many long-distance friendships.
CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
The funniest and most embarrassing was when I was in AOCS. We had just completed "poopy week," which is the first week where the DI tries to weed people out. We wore green fatigues and helmets that week. At the end of "poopy week," we had about five minutes to
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - Can you recount a particular incident from your service, which may or may not have been funny at the time, but still makes you laugh?
My early years. Nothing but 'Up' from here
get out of our fatigues, get all of our stuff out of our rooms and get into PT gear to move over to the Battalion. I was in such a hurry that I put my Navy PT shorts on backward. The shorts had the Dept of the Navy emblem on the front. At the galley, My DI, SSgt Donahue, noticed that I had my PT shorts on backward, with the Dept of the Navy seal now showing on my rear end. He said. "Hey, Runion! , is your body backward, or are your shorts on backward"? He would not let me sit down in the galley because he didn't want me to sit on that Navy seal and deface it. So, I stood while everybody else was sitting down and eating. We had a class party right before our graduation, and that entire incident was re-lived in a class skit.

After the skit, The DIs were impressed by how much we remembered that incident and exactly what the DIs said that day, and also how we captured all of their mannerisms down to a T.

So, I guess Imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery.
WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
I served in the military for 41 continuous years in various statuses. After serving in the Navy and Navy Reserve, I briefly worked in civil service with the Navy for one year at Kings Bay, GA. Then, my Air Force Reserve career began in April 1993 as an Air Reserve
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - What profession did you follow after your military service and what are you doing now? If you are currently serving, what is your present occupational specialty?
First official photo as Colonel 2014
Technician (ART) Officer. That process to transfer from the Navy Reserve to the Air Force Reserve took about one year.

With the Air Force Reserve, I started out as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer Trainee at Grissom Air Reserve Base in Indiana. Also, in Indiana, I met my wife, and we were married in 1994. After Grissom, I worked in depot-level maintenance at Tinker AFB, OK.

Then in 2001, shortly after 9/11, I was able to get a limited recall to active duty, and I spent three years working in a Communications Officer billet at Randolph AFB TX as a Flight Commander. After that, I was then able to get into the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) program at Langley AFB VA and cross-trained into the Logistics Readiness career field. Then, In 2009, I went back into the ART Program, and I also returned to Grissom ARB. We thought we would settle down and retire in Indiana, but then I went and made Colonel/O-6.

There was no O-6 position for me to go into at Grissom. So, I applied, and I was selected to be the Mission Support Group Commander with the Air Force Reserve C-17 associate unit at Joint Base Lewis- McChord, Washington. After serving three years at McChord, I then became the Mission Support Group Commander for the Air Force Reserve C-17 unit at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, where I served for 2 and 1/2 years and retired in February 2020.

I am now working full-time as an Air Force civilian at Grissom ARB, Indiana, after my retirement from the Air Force Reserve. My current position is Wing Process Manager/GS-12.
WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - What military associations are you a member of, if any? What specific benefits do you derive from your memberships?
ROA emblem
I belong to the Reserve Officers Association (ROA) Fleet Reserve Association (FRA). Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), American Legion, and the Air Force Association. I receive their magazines, and they help me keep up with the changes going on in the military and legislation affecting the military. The ROA helped me find out about an active duty opportunity with the Air Force that I was selected for in 2001. At that time, Field Grade Officer positions were being advertised for a limited recall to active duty. I was selected to be a Flight Commander for the Air Force Occupational Measurement Squadron (AFOMS) at Randolph AFB TX and spent three years on active duty working in an active-duty squadron. It was a great opportunity, and I worked for a great Commander, Lt Col Eugene Henry.

My family also loved San Antonio. However, I would have never known about that opportunity had I not been a member of the ROA.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE?
I think my faith in Christ, along with my military service, has given me the strength to face some difficult experiences and be resilient. I have had some disappointments in my career, namely when I could no longer stay on active duty in the Navy. However, when that door closed,
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - In what ways has serving in the military influenced the way you have approached your life and your career? What do you miss most about your time in the service?
Close enough for me..P-3 flyover at NAS JAX
another one then opened with the Air Force Reserve.

I have also had challenges in my personal life with special needs children. As a reservist, I have also had two long mobilizations/deployments away from my family. However, I can say that after 41 years, I have had more positive experiences with the military than negative. My career has had a lot of twists and turns, but I think being in different career fields and statuses gave me a broad perspective as an O-6.

The military has also made me a goal-oriented person and kept me in physical shape until I retired at the age of 59. In 2015, I spent three weeks in the field at an Army base living in a tent, eating MREs, and working at a bare base. There I was in my mid-50s, and I was still able to hang with all the 20-year olds. I have also been able to see a lot of the World (Germany, South Korea, Hawaii, Alaska, Bermuda, Scotland, Spain, Puerto Rico, and more).

My military service has made me more appreciative of the blessings I have and the great country we live in.
BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE NAVY?
Have a goal and work towards it. In my Navy career, I was always goal-oriented: first, it was getting my Aircrew Wings, then my EAWS Wings, then making Petty Officer First Class, then getting a Commission, then earning my NFO Wings. I always had some goal that I was trying
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give to those who have recently joined the Navy?
Aim High, Fly High, it all started as a Sea Cadet at NAS Atlanta
to reach out in front of me. Also, hang in there. I have had highs and lows in my career. Don't quit. Hang in there during the bad times. There were several times I thought about quitting AOCS, but I am glad I toughed it out.

Also, I was extremely disappointed when I could not continue my Navy career and transfer into the regular Navy. However, when one door closed, another door opened for me with the Air Force, which allowed me to continue to serve in a full-time capacity as an Air Reserve Technician (ART) Officer. I was actually able to have a longer career by being an ART Officer than had I stayed in the Navy. So, things happen for a reason.

I retired from the Air Force Reserve with 41 years of military service. I can honestly say after 41 years, I had more positive than negative experiences in my military career. I would not trade my experiences, the places I have seen, and the people I have met for anything else out there.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.
Through TWS, I have come back in contact with several shipmates that I had not heard from in years. With TWS, I have made contacts with someone that I attended Boot Camp within 1979; a crew member that I flew within Key West, and two shipmates that I served with
Bryan Runion (Bubba), LT - In what ways has TogetherWeServed.com helped you remember your military service and the friends you served with.
TWS a great site for Veterans
at NAS Jacksonville. It really is a small world.

Also, there is no other site like TWS where you can capture your entire career: all of your awards, badges, assignments, unit emblems; you name it, and it is on the TWS site. I think it is the most comprehensive site for military and former military members. I also like the jokes with the Laugh Factory, Seadog Humor, and Flight of Fancy Humor (Air Force TWS).

I need that humor to get me through the day, and I also share those jokes with my friends. I have been a member of TWS for several years and recommend it to others. Years ago, A Navy veteran that I worked with at Grissom ARB in Indiana turned me on to TWS, and I have been on it ever since.

KC 3.15.22

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