Longest serving Airman calls it a career

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Richard Williams
  • Air Force Public Affairs Agency
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  As the sun sets on the career of Maj. Gen. Alfred K. Flowers, he looks back with a sense of accomplishment.

Flowers, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, is set to retire from the Air Force on Jan. 1, 2012.

With 46 years of service to his country, Flowers is the longest serving Airman and currently the longest serving Air Force officer who began their service since the creation of the U.S. Air Force in 1947.

"When you start at age 17, you can get a lot done by the time you are 60," Flowers said.

A Kinston, N.C., native, Flowers was raised by his grandparents, who were sharecroppers. He credits humble beginnings as the foundation that carried him to where he is today.

"Being raised by grandparents who instilled the morals, the values, the integrity of doing the right thing and treating people the way you want to be treated has been important," he said. "I credit a lot of my makeup, morals and ethical values and attitudes to them."

These values guided Flowers to perform his best in school and propelled him to graduate high school at 17.

Flowers knew the opportunity to further his education after high school was bleak. However, there were other ways to succeed for someone with motivation, drive and a willingness to perform their best every day.

He followed the model of a cousin who had joined the Army a few years earlier and was doing well. He asked his grandmother's permission to join the Air Force in 1965.
Upon completion of basic military training, Flowers received a direct to duty assignment as a supply warehouseman at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., which he recalls was a completely different environment from where he grew up.

After spending two years at Grand Forks AFB, Flowers was retrained into air transportation and received one of his most difficult assignments of his career -- casualty collection at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, in 1968.

"I knew that there was a war going on and it was a dangerous place," Flowers said.

"The first day we showed up there was a rocket attack about an hour later, so there I was, a brand new 19-year-old Airman, trying to find my way to the bunker because we were under a rocket attack," he said. "It was eye opening and quite frightening."

In Vietnam, Flowers' primary mission was to haul wounded and deceased soldiers out of the jungle at night.

"It was a job that had to be done but one that was very difficult," Flowers said. "Those young Soldiers and Marines deserved all the dignity and respect we could give."

Upon completion of his tour in Vietnam, Flowers arrived at Norton AFB, Calif., where he met his wife. The two had only been married for two weeks when she received orders to Clark Air Base, Philippines; after six months of separation, he received a joint spouse assignment.

During his time at Clark AB, Flowers began a quest to further his education with the support of his wife, who he credits as a large influence on not only his career but his life as well.

He retrained as an accounting specialist during assignments to Lackland AFB, Texas, and Charleston AFB, S.C., and in 1975, after completing his bachelor's degree, he applied and was accepted to Air Force Officer Training School.

At this time, Flowers' wife, who was also an Airman, received orders to Iraklion AB, Crete. He would have to make a decision: accept his commission with no guarantee of joining his family after OTS completion or decline the commission and go with his family.

"That was an easy decision for me; I went with her and our 4-year-old and decided I would reapply later in my career," Flowers said.

The move to Crete did not deter Flowers from continuing his goal of higher education and pursuing a career as an officer. Flowers finished his master's degree and applied for Officer Training School and this time was denied.

He and his family then moved to Travis AFB, Calif., in 1977 where he again reapplied to OTS and was denied. He waited a short time and, while waiting for his promotion date to sew on master sergeant, he decided to reapply to OTS again and was accepted in 1978.

"My wife had been very instrumental with supporting me while I was furthering my education and extremely supportive after I made my transition from the enlisted side to the officer side," Flowers said.

Flowers was commissioned in 1978 as a financial management officer. He credits the leaders he had with molding him into the officer he has become today and said it wasn't always an easy transition.

The biggest challenge was mentally adjusting to life in the officer corps, Flowers said.

"Expectations are different and challenges are different," he said.

There were many mentors who helped mold Flowers' career and he recalls his time at the 347th Tactical Fighter Squadron Moody AFB, Ga., and Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Va., as assignments where his leadership helped unlock his potential as an officer.

Through the selfless leadership of others, Flowers said he was allowed to try and succeed or fail based on the support of others around him. This is something he has tried to pass on to enlisted and officers alike throughout the years.

One important piece to a successful mission, according to Flowers, is everyone working together as a team. He said at times he felt a distinct advantage having spent 13 years as an enlisted Airman; it allowed him to mesh officer and enlisted capabilities.

"The thing that you can never forget as an officer is if you are going to be successful, the enlisted community and all of those around you are what make you successful," Flowers said. "None of us are good enough to make ourselves successful, and I never forgot where I came from."

Throughout his career Flowers has completed 25 assignments, all of which he says were unique and challenging; however, he said his best assignment was to U.S. Special Operations Command, where he served as the director of resources.

"I think the reason I cherish it so much is because of the great work those operators are doing in today's fight with the Global War on Terrorism," Flowers said. "I had the opportunity to understand how those great Americans, that small cadre of special operations forces, are making a difference in the fight today.

"To be able to work the resourcing for them and ensure they had what they needed to do their work was a great opportunity and one of my fondest memories over the past 46 years," he added.

Besides his assignment to USSOCOM, Flowers said commanding 2nd Air Force at Keesler AFB, Miss., which oversees all Air Force basic military and nonflying technical training, was his most important assignment.

"Having been an Airman who went through the 3706th Training Squadron in 1965 and being able to return and command 2nd Air Force was one of my greatest opportunities," he added.

The training that takes place at Lackland AFB is the most important thing the Air Force does, he said.

"If we don't get it right there, we don't get it right in the Air Force," Flowers said.

The ability to mold young Airmen into future Air Force leaders placed Flowers exactly where he wanted to be, "with the people," he said. In his view, people are still the most important asset and their abilities and understanding of what is asked of them is crucial to future success.

"This is not about you, this is about service," Flowers said. "And service sometimes means neglecting your own needs for the good of the whole, the nation or the service."

Throughout his career, Flowers has worked to ensure Airmen have what they need to accomplish the mission. Whether it was as a supply warehouseman in 1965, an air transportation specialist during Vietnam or an enlisted or commissioned officer in financial management, his love for service has always been at the forefront, even through many changes to the service he has faithfully served for 46 years.

"I have seen a lot of changes throughout my career, and most of them were for the better," Flowers said. "We all do our jobs and do them the best we can, but we could not do them without the people around us ... the people are what I will miss the most."

Flowers' retirement ceremony and banquet were held at Bolling AFB, Md., Nov. 16.