Twins celebrate a half century of service

  • Published
  • By Lanorris Askew
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  Many things have changed at Robins in the past 50 years. There have been runway extensions, new buildings, new units and a string of commanders. But there has been one constant: the presence of Billy and Bobby Edwards, who are logistics management specialists.

The 69-year-old identical twins joined federal service shortly after graduating from high school, and they say they have never looked back.

"It has been a very interesting, challenging and rewarding career," said Bobby, the younger of the two by 15 minutes. "I've enjoyed it tremendously, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

Born and reared in Perry, Ga., the two moved to the city of Warner Robins in 1947. After graduating from Perry High School, they began their post-secondary education at Georgia Alabama Business College in nearby Macon.

While attending the business school, they saw a notice explaining how to apply for employment on the base.

"Everyone was filling out applications, and we did too," Billy said. "We were notified to come and take the examination that was required to process us into government employment, and the rest is history."

The brothers have seen a lot of changes at Robins since their arrival as supply clerks a half century ago.

"Our first job was to keep up with the materials in the bins in the warehouse," Billy said.

The brothers said they kept their records in a way that is very different from the way the job is done now -- they used a pad and pencil.

"It was all manual then," Billy said. "There were no computers or automated processes. Even adding machines were very rare.

While their milestone of 50 years is unique to their family, working at Robins is not. Their mother, father and brother also worked here.

"Our father was a hydraulic bearing specialist, our mother was a supply specialist, and our brother worked in engineering," Billy said.

Looking back on their time here, the brothers said they have fond memories and no regrets.

"This career has given me opportunities to travel all over the world, opportunities that I wouldn't have otherwise had," Bobby said. "People don't have those kinds of opportunities every day."

They said they take their commitment as logistics management specialists seriously.

"I don't have any plans of giving it up," Bobby said. "When people ask what I plan to do now that I am getting my 50-year pin, I say, 'I may be here for 20 more years. Do you think I could make it?' They ask, ‘Are you sick in the head?’ and I say, ‘No.’ Everybody has got to be somewhere, and if I like what I'm doing, then that's what counts."

Bobby said that not many people reach the 50-year mark.

"Most people say, ‘Give me 30 years at 55 and let me go home.’ Well at 55, I wasn't ready to go home." (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)