Lou Gehrig's disease forces Airman to retire

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Michael A. Ward
  • Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  Tech. Sgt. Jason Whitman’s retirement ceremony March 29 was a lot like any other. He received a few gifts and mementos and shared the moments with a roomful of family and friends.

But it was different. Sergeant Whitman was in a wheelchair, the atmosphere was somber and muffled crying could be heard from some of the guests. He cried himself when it came time for him to take the floor. Because what should have been a long career, much longer than the 11 years he had put in, was now coming to an unexpected close due to a medical retirement.

In 2005, Sergeant Whitman was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a rare neuromuscular disorder that is incurable and fatal. Most patients die within a few years of being diagnosed, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. 

“My doctors gave me the standard response of three to five years,” Sergeant Whitman said. “You take it as you get it, and keep living while you can.” 

A shrug would have been an appropriate gesture, and perhaps he made an attempt at it. But the disease slowly strips away the ability of the motor neurons to signal the muscles to move. Eventually the neurons die, leading to muscle atrophy, paralysis and death, according to medical experts. 

Sergeant Whitman, a member of the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency’s airfield pavement evaluation team, said he first noticed something was wrong after jogging one day in the summer of 2004.

“One leg wasn’t responding,” he said. “Later that year I started having trouble with my balance.” 

In January 2005 doctors diagnosed him with the disease. 

He didn’t handle the news very well at first, he said, but he gained a different perspective over time because of his family.

“There are people who die in battle and never get a chance to say goodbye. I’ve already started recording messages to leave for my family. Some members don’t get a chance to do that,” he said.

He says he is not bitter about his condition but was looking forward to a longer career.

“I love the Air Force and was hoping to do at least 20 years. I had aspirations for making senior [master sergeant] but wasn’t quite sure about making chief. I told my wife the other day, though, that I thought I would have had a good chance.” 

Sergeant Whitman and his wife, Tracy, have four children: Seth, 7; Haley, 4; Jared, 3, and Emily, 5 months. After the retirement ceremony, the family began preparing for their move to his hometown of Jacksonville, Ark., where his parents still live. 

“That was about the toughest retirement ceremony I’ve been a part of,” said Maj. Tom Defazio, a former pavement evaluation team member. “Having worked with Jason and knowing what type of person he is and how bright he is, it was very difficult. It was very emotional.”