36-year chief retires at Duke Field

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.
  • 919th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
DUKE FIELD, Fla. --  After 36 years military service, Chief Master Sgt. Lyle Spangler, 711th Special Operations Squadron, retired in a ceremony at Duke Field Jan. 9.

"Chief Spangler has set the bar so high, it's our challenge to even get close to it," said Col. Jon Weeks, 919th Special Operations Wing commander, who presided over the ceremony and highlighted the chief's memorable career. "He was always trying to make this place better for all of us."

After four years of active duty, the chief joined the reserves and the 919th SOW, (only a group in 1978.) He served as a munitions technician, before becoming an aerial gunner in 1983.

In 1995, when the SOW transitioned from the AC-130 to the MC-130, the chief retrained again as a loadmaster. The chief made it to the top enlisted tier in 1998 and retired with 4,700 flying hours and 271 combat hours.

Looking back on his career, he said he was destined to fly.

"Since I was a kid, I had a love affair with the Air Force," the chief said.