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SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – On July 14, 2015, a room at the
363rd Training Squadron was dedicated to honor Kent Salvage's
sacrifice to the U.S. Air Force.
Not only was it dedicated
for his service as an active duty aircraft armament specialist, but
also for his continued service as a civilian instructor for the F-16
Aircraft Armament Training Flight at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.
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Colton Whitt, grandson of Kent “Doc” Salvage, looks at the photos of his grandfather after a room dedication ceremony to honor his service and sacrifice to the 363rd Training Squadron at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, July 14, 2015. Salvage passed away due to a heart attack and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Va. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kyle Gese)
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“I remember him always happy,” said Ernie Acosta-Rivera,
a colleague who instructed with Salvage. “He always wanted
to do the right thing – always wanted to do it right for the
Airmen.”
Salvage served 20 years in the active duty
Air Force. After completing Basic Military Training, he
continued his education at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado,
where he learned the skills needed to be an aircraft
armament specialist. Since then, he has served at
assignments such as Luke AFB, Arizona, Ubon AB, Thailand,
MacDill AFB, Florida, Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina,
Suwon AB, Korea, Nellis AFB, Nevada, locations in Saudi
Arabia, and Sheppard AFB, Texas.
Salvage never
limited himself to working in one area. In fact, he has
worked on several different aircraft systems including the
F-100, F-4, A-10, F-117, B-52 and the F-16 aircraft.
“He was always laughing,” Acosta-Rivera recalled. “He was
dedicated to making sure we did the best we could to make
sure the Airmen got the right training.”
Though he
had spent many years serving the Air Force as active duty, –
and many more as a civilian – his career came to an untimely
end. Salvage passed away shortly after retiring – for his
second time – as a civilian instructor. Not long after he
separated from teaching, Salvage suffered a fatal heart
attack and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Va.
“I didn't get to see my daddy a whole lot,” said his
daughter, Lorie Whitt. “My daddy was a very kind and loving
person. He was in desert storm when I got married. I wanted
him to be home, but he couldn't because he was serving our
country ... I missed my dad.”
Whitt's parents separated
during her adolescent years and she lived with her mother.
She spoke briefly about the difficulty of separation from
her father while he was serving in a deployed environment.
“He was gone for a year and I didn't know if he was
alive,” she said. “When he was in the military I didn't get
to see him much. He really loved us though.”
Many
friends and family gathered for the dedication ceremony to
remember his sacrifice. An eerie silence crept over the room
filling everyone with sadness and pride as Chief Master Sgt.
Raymond Lapham read the final remarks. Although it was a
moment for some to say goodbye, it was also a moment that
immortalized him with the 82nd Training Wing.
By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Kyle Gese
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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