Fifty years of heritage (edition 22) Published Sept. 9, 2011 By Eric M. White 910 AW/PA YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- History paints the portrait of citizen Airmen Air Force reservists are Citizen Airmen who work part-time jobs for the Air Force, often while maintaining full-time civilian occupations. These Airmen help the Air Force Reserve provide approximately 20 percent of the daily missions of the Air Force. They teach fifth grade science during the week and guard base entrances while on duty. They own and operate private practices, yet deploy to the Dominican Republic to provide critical medical treatment for those in need. They are construction workers, nurses, managers and students who help fulfill the Air Force's mission to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. The history of the Air Force Reserve is one rich in diversity and unique in its composition. In 1976, the Youngstown Municipal Airport's 910 Tactical Fighter Group published a monthly column in its 910 Flyer highlighting the civilian lives of its reservists. Note: Photos and captions appear in their original form. More Cows Than Bull for This Fighter Pilot From the November, 1976 Nine Ten Flyer "We've topped off the big siloes, got the wheat planted, and if the weather holds, and we get the picker fixed, we should start filling the corn cribs the first of the week." That's not the kind of talk you normally hear from a fighter pilot, but between UTA's they are the thoughts that occupy the mind of Captain Theodore Logan, 757th Tactical Fighter Sq. Captain Logan says he tries to fly about one day a week to maintain his proficiency in the aircraft and on the gunnery range. But the other six days are sent working with his fathers and brothers on the family dairy farm, located about 15 miles north of the base, in Gustavus, OH. His day begins at about 6:00 AM when he eats breakfast and goes out to start the morning milking. With a herd of over 200 Holsteins, he says, "Even milking six cows at a time with the most modern equipment available, it's a chore that takes two people more than three hours to finish." By the time the routine cleaning and feeding chores are finished, it's usually noon. The rest of the day, normally until dark. Is devoted to the corn, oats and other crops raised to feed the cows. (The evening feeding and delegating chores are delegated to someone else.) "We do most of our own maintenance on the tractors and other equipment, which takes a lot of time," he commented. While on active duty, Captain Logan flew the C-141 Starlifter at Dover AFB, DE for three years. He then returned to the farm and the 910th TFG in the fall of 1973. He recently received his Senior Pilot wings for completing over 2,000 total flying hours in his seven years as a military pilot and he is flight lead qualified in the A-39 program. Captain Logan was asked if there was a great deal of conflict between these two vastly different jobs. "On the contrary," he replied, "they really complement each other. Although farming is the life I've chosen, I don't know how long I could stand the drudgery of it if I didn't have the fun of flying once in a while." At the same time he said that he feels that farming offers him more flexibility to meet his flying requirements than most occupations do. Captain Logan doesn't think it's unusual to have such contrasting interests but he does admit, "I'm luckier than most people in that I haven't had to sacrifice one for the other."