After 20 years, Trenton native retires from the military

By Carrie A. Mizell

Just because he retired from the U.S. Air Force on July 2 after 20 years of service to this country does not mean that Trenton native Chad Vann would not put on his uniform again if the United States were ever threatened.

Chad Vann

“I got to spend 20 years in the defense of freedom, democracy, and the American way of life,” Vann said. “I served with, over and under the best and brightest this nation has to offer. I served the greatest boss and customer in the world, the American taxpayer.”
The 1988 Trenton High School graduate said that during his military career he always tried to give his best, as American taxpayers expect and deserve no less that his absolute best.
“I am proud to have been a part of a proud heritage of warrior; past, present and future,” Vann said. “I have retired, but if freedom, liberty and the American way of life are threatened, if my country asks for my help, I would gladly lace’em back up and pick up my weapons once again and go into harm’s way for my country.”
Following his retirement ceremony held July 2 on Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, Vann said he has mixed emotions regarding his retirement.
The husband and father of two sons, ages 10 and 5, said that he wanted to stay in the military and continue molding, teaching and mentoring young military minds, but his need to be with his family 365 days a year outweighed his wants.
“I wanted to deploy in support of the ongoing War on Terror again,” Vann said. “However, I needed to get back to my family. If I would have stayed in, I would have had to stay at Andrews [Air Force Base in Maryland] another year, away from my family [who live in Nebraska].”
Ultimately, Vann said that when he sits back and looks at everything now, and takes it all in context, it was time to retire.
“Everything is going well; I am just trying to re-adjust after being separated from Sheri and the kids for three years,” Vann said. “While I was in D.C. they stayed in Omaha.”
Vann had been stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, which is home to Air Force One, since 2006.
“When I got the assignment, Sheri and I decided it was in our family’s best interest for them to stay in Nebraska,” Vann said.
For Vann it was all based on his sense of being a part of something that was bigger than himself. He credits his Trenton High School coaches for teaching him a sense of participating, training, sacrifice and dedication for the greater good of the team.
“They taught me that the team was only as strong as the weakest link, much like any military organization,” Vann said.
Specifically, Vann said his key influences were coaches Richard Kennedy, Tommy Malloy, Bill Wiles, John Vickers and David Campbell. Vann also said he got tremendous support from his teachers at Trenton, though he credits his family as his biggest influence.
“Without their love, support and dedication there is absolutely no way I would be where I am today,” Vann said. “I owe them more than I could ever repay in ten lifetimes.”
After graduating from THS, Vann, who is the son of Gail and the late R.T. Vann, worked at Publix for a year and also at WCWB doing evening radio and color commentary for high school sports. In March 1989 he went into the delayed enlistment program and on Aug. 24, 1989 he left for basic training in San Antonio, Texas.
“They gave me a ticket and put me on a plane from Jacksonville to San Antonio with a connection through Dallas,” Vann recalled. “It was the first time I had ever flown on a commercial airline. I was wide eyed and scared to death!”
Unlike most people, Vann said he had a great time at basic training. In retrospect he said it was a mental game more than anything else. Upon graduation, Vann went to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi for technical training.
“The biggest thing I remember from there was that I graduated and my mom and brother picked me up in December during the huge Storm of the Century,” Vann said. “It took us forever to get back home because it was snowing in the panhandle. The roads were a mess and the state did not have proper equipment to clean the interstate.”
Vann’s first duty station was Cheyenne Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. While there, Vann worked on the system that provided early detection of missile launches for the North American continent. The Cold War was still going on and it was a serious job during that time. Additionally, Vann said he provided early detection of Scud missile launches during the first Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm.
While stationed in Colorado Springs, Vann said he managed to track down Timrek Heisler who was a 1987 graduate from Chiefland. He was attending the Air Force Academy at the time. Vann said they got together on the weekends and during the summer to watch football, play golf and cookout.
“I think it was good for both of us to have someone from back home to talk to,” Vann said. “Incidentally, Timrek is now a Lt. Col. and is stationed at Andrews. We had lunch the week before I retired.”
In March 1992, Vann reported to Howard Air Force Base in Panama. While there he worked on the system that was responsible for tracking the movement of all airlifted cargo and personnel in and out of Central and South America. He was also selected as a three-time member of the All Air Force Football Team.
The Air Force re-assigned Vann to Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska in April 1994. While there, Vann was assigned to the Alternate Missile Warning Center as a shift supervisor, the most junior of all shift supervisors. His team was named “Crew of the Month” nine times during one 12-month period.
In August 1996 Vann was re-assigned to Howard Air Force Base, this time as a shift supervisor in the Base Network Control Center. While at Howard, Vann was selected as a member of the Base Aggressor Team.
“Aggressor team acts as the bad guys during exercises to include hostage taking, perimeter defense penetration, planting simulated explosives, and simulating criminal as well as hostile activity against American Forces,” Vann explained. “This was very exciting as it included jungle operations training, as well as opportunities to train with members of the Los Angeles S.W.A.T. Team and various units throughout the base.”
While stationed in Panama, Vann came home on leave in August 1997 and married the love of his life, Sheri. After their honeymoon, Sheri returned to Omaha, Nebraska, and Vann returned to Panama to serve another year.
In August 1998 Vann once again reported to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, this time working for United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM).
Chad and Sheri welcomed their son Blake in 1999, and later in 2004 their son Brady was born.
Vann said he was assigned to USSTRATCOM during the same time period as Rear Admiral David “Deke” Philman, a Bell native. Vanns said he spoke with Philman several times.
“He is a fantastic leader,” Vann said. “His secretary and he were not sure who I was, but when I mentioned Trenton and Gilchrist County he knew it was someone from home.”
In 2006, when Vann was re-assigned to Andrews Air Force Base he worked for the 89th Communications Squadron. Vann’s first job was as the Systems Administration NCOIC for the High Frequency Global Communications System. This system is responsible for broadcasting information to United States and Coalition aircraft in real time around the globe. In February 2007, Vann was handpicked to move over to a new roll as the NCOIC of Information Assurance/Computer Network Defense for the Government Network Operations Center (GNOC). The GNOC provides airborne connectivity for the nation’s leaders (to include the President/Air Force One, Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and others) while they travel.
Then in April 2007, Vann deployed to Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While at Victory, Vann worked for the XVIII Airborne Corps, out of Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
“I enjoyed working for the Army,” Vann said. “While there we were responsible for providing and tracking communications connectivity throughout the entire country. This included providing intelligence feeds and radio support to troops on the ground performing active operations/missions.”
While in the military Vann was presented with numerous major awards including: Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal 1 oak leaf cluster, Air Force Achievement Medal 2 oak leaf clusters, Joint Meritorious Unit Award 3 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 4 oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Star, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border.
Wisdom that Vann has carried with him throughout his career came from a meeting he had with Command Sergeant Major William J. Gainey. He was the first Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Vann recalled, CSM Gainey walked in the room and said “I am here to tell you today that you have three priorities in your life. The first is your God; whoever or whatever that may be. The second is your family. And third and lastly, is your job! Now you’re thinking, did I hear the Sergeant Major right? Did he really say that? Yes I did! If you have your spiritual health then that allows you to take care of #2 and if #1 and #2 are good to go, then that will allow you to take care of #3!”
“I found a lot of wisdom and truth in that simple statement,” Vann said. “I found through 20 years of service that if you attack problems, issues, and tasks with motivation and a can do attitude while working towards an end goal, then some great things can and will happen.”
Right now, Vann said he is getting settled back in, but he will begin looking for a new job in a couple of weeks. Currently, he is on terminal leave until Sept. 1.
“I will still be associated with the military as either a contractor or a government civilian employee.”
The Vanns will celebrate 12 years of marriage in August; four of those years were spent apart due to his military obligations.
At this time, Vann said his family plans to continue living in Nebraska for a couple more years before starting to look for the right opportunity to move back to Florida.
The proud father said that both his boys love baseball and the outdoors. Blake is an awesome catcher and shortstop and has been invited to try out for several select teams. He was one “B” short of straight “A’s” for the school year.
“This was especially impressive to me since he accomplished this while worrying about me being in Iraq,” Vann said.
Brady, Vann’s youngest son, will start kindergarten this year.
“On their baseball teams, they both try to get number 3 as they know Brandon McArthur (former UF third baseman) and think the world of him,” Vann said. “I could not think of a better role model/person for them to emulate.”
Vann said his family came home to Florida in April. While here they went to the Orange and Blue Game, along with about five baseball games. Chad and Sheri also took the boys to Disney World for the first time. Vann said they hope to come back in the fall.
“It was an amazing twenty years,” Vann said. “I have done and experienced things that I would have never seen without the military - the Rocky Mountains, the Panama Canal, the tropics of South and Central America, the heat and sand of the Middle East, and this wonderful country from coast to coast.”
Vann said he was recently asked if there was anything he would change.
“My immediate thought was yes, but as I took a second to think about it, my answer changed,” Vann said. “I would not have changed a single thing! The reason is that to have changed the variables in the equation would have changed the end result.”

A group of Chad Vann’s family traveled from Gilchrist County to Maryland to attend his retirement ceremony.
Pictured from left: Tiffany Turner (Chad’s cousin-in-law), Gail Vann (Chad’s mother), Sheri Vann (Chad’s wife), Blake Vann (Chad’s son), Brady Vann (Chad’s son), Chad Vann, Heather Turner (Chad’s cousin),
Patsy Turner (Chad’s aunt) and Ruby Browning (Chad’s cousin).