Navy veteran trained air traffic controllers
Apr. 30—Today's veteran: Richard Strickland, 78
Born: San Antonio, Texas
Residence: Brunswick
Service: Navy, 20 years
Duties: Air traffic
controller
Rank: Chief petty officer
Recognitions: Good Conduct Medal (4 times); National Defense Service Medal; Expeditionary Medal
Duty stations: Naval Air Technical Training Center Glynco; Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy; NAS Miramar, Calif.; NAS Agana, Guam; Naval Detachment Souda Bay, Greece; NAS Cecil Field, Fla.
His story: Richard Strickland lived in San Antonio, Texas, where he was surrounded by Air Force and Army bases, so when he decided to enlist in military service he chose an
unexpected path.
His decision to join the Navy, made the day after he turned 17 years old, was made because he said he wanted to do something different.
"I didn't want to join the Air Force or the Army," he said.
As it turned out, his 20-year Navy career was different. He never deployed aboard a ship and spent his entire time on shore duty.
There are only a limited number of air traffic controllers aboard aircraft carriers, so Strickland said he was not surprised he never served at sea.
Strickland said he was in the Navy about six years — midway through his first reenlistment — when he decided to make it a career.
He was trained at the Naval Air Technical Training Center Glynco, and later returned there as an instructor.
After training, he was sent to Guam where his duties included both commercial and military planes, including aircraft headed to the war in Vietnam.
He ended his Navy career at Glynco as an instructor. It was his favorite during assignment in the Navy, he said.
"I enjoyed all my duty stations," he said. "It was an opportunity to pass on what I learned to my students."
During the his last three months in the Navy, Strickland cross trained with the Glynn County Police Department before taking a full-time job with the department.
"I wanted to get into something less stressful, so I got into law enforcement," he said.
That led to a 30-year career in law enforcement, where he retired as a captain. He also served eight years on the Glynn County Commission, including two terms as chairman. He is currently serving on the Mainland Planning
Commission.
"It was the greatest thing I ever did," he said of his time in the Navy. "It formed the rest of my life."
