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Tinker civilian receives 40-year service pin

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE --  Nearly 40 years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson was president. "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" by B.J. Thomas was rated number one on the Billboard Hot 100 List, and Kenneth Snake began his tenure at Tinker.
  To commemorate his near 40-year career, Maj. Gen. Loren Reno, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center commander, presented Mr. Snake with a 40-year civilian service career pin June 13. The impromptu ceremony took place at Bldg. 3001's center mezzanine near the Hollywood and Vine footpath intersection. Nearly 50 friends and co-workers attended.    "Just before I came to this meeting, I was with the former director of this ALC, Bob Conner, and I told Mr. Conner about the 40-year award," said General Reno. "[Mr. Conner] just smiled and shook his head because he remembers the dedication of the civilians that have been here, not only year-in and year-out, but decade-in and decade-out.
   "It is my great pleasure to stand here with Mr. Snake and congratulate him on his great achievement," said General Reno.
   Mr. Snake, a machinist with the 544th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron, also received a certificate of service signed by Gen. Bruce Carlson, Air Force Materiel Command commander.
   Mr. Snake said he began his Tinker civilian career Jan. 28, 1970, three months after separating from the Army and within a year of returning from the Vietnam War. The Oklahoma City-metro native was just 21 years old.
   Initially, Mr. Snake said he applied to work at Tinker to keep him busy until he figured out what he wanted to do. When his initial dreams of becoming a border guard were dashed, he didn't have a back-up plan.
   "I asked about a job for the border guards but they told me I had to take training all over, I said, 'No, I didn't need that,'" Mr. Snake said.
   So, Mr. Snake plugged away at Tinker. The days turned into years and the years turned into decades.
   "I've got the 10-year, 20-year and 30-year pins," Mr. Snake said.
In that time, Mr. Snake repaired plenty of gearboxes for engines including the J79, J57, J75, TF33, TF41 and TF30. He has also worked with rotors, blades and grinders.
   Mr. Snake said he spent the majority of his career working in Bldg. 3001, and said he can remember a time when a paging system was used to summon employees for a telephone call.
   "When they wanted to call you, all of the bullhorns all over the building would call your name and give you a phone number to call," Mr. Snake said.
   In 1973, Mr. Snake said he met Barbara Burke, a saleswoman in the canteen. Nearly 10 years later in 1981, they married. Mrs. Snake has since retired from Tinker.
   Reaching the 40-year mark in a civilian career is considered a significant milestone, said Robert Warren, 72nd Mission Support Squadron Employee Relations specialist for Performance Recognition.
   "Over the past two years, only 142 employees (through June 2008) have reached the 40-year mark," Mr. Warren said. "So, when you take a look at the number of Tinker employees (more than 12,500), the percentage of those who will reach 40 years is very, very small."
   Mr. Snake said he feels honored to be recognized, but above all he said he's glad he can be used as a resource, and plans to keep working for another few years.
   "With the years I have out here, I can pass on my knowledge to new people when they come into the workshop and keep the cycle going," he said.