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AMC vice commander flies final flight

  • Published
Friends and family turned out to welcome home Air Mobility Command’s vice commander after flying the final flight of his 33-year career May 6.

“I am ready to fly, but not to retire,” said Lt. Gen. John Baker prior to taking off from McConnell AFB, Kan.

After refueling a F-16 Fighting Falcon and a KC-135 Stratotanker, the general and his all-McConnell crew landed here.

They were met by General Baker’s wife, Judi, who enlisted the help of the Scott AFB fire department to marshal the general’s aircraft in to park. The fire department used two large tanker trucks to create a water archway for the general to guide the aircraft through. Mrs. Baker personally marshaled in the aircraft, a job normally performed by a crew chief.

General Baker’s crew consisted of Maj. Timothy Vituszynski, Capt. Nate Drewry, Staff Sgt. Scott Teague, and Senior Airman Cleigh Robbins, members of the 349th Air Refueling Squadron.

“I am going to miss it a lot,” General Baker said as he spoke of his final flight, “especially the people I work with in the air and on the ground.”

General Baker began his Air Force career in 1972 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Oklahoma. He received his commission through the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps, and began pilot training at Webb AFB, Texas, the same year.

“I have never had a bad flying assignment and would fly anything the Air Force would let me,” said General Baker.

And he did. He has more than 2,800 flight hours in the F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle, KC-135R and OV-10 Bronco.

“I have been more places and seen more things than I ever thought possible. It has been an adventure,” he said.

That adventure took the Bakers all over the world, including assignments in Texas, Florida, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Turkey, and South Korea, to name a few. Among other duties, he has served as a squadron commander, group commander and wing commander before finishing his career as the AMC vice commander.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” he said. “I’m happy and proud to be in AMC. The Air Force has become expeditionary; AMC is the heart of it, and the men and women are the blood that keeps it going.”

After getting drenched by a fire hose from his wife, a tradition for pilots making their final flight with a unit, General Baker offered some advice to those who continue to serve.

“Work hard in the job you are in,” he said. “Be a dedicated and professional Airman. We can have all the technology in the world, but without hardworking men and women, it won’t do us any good.”