Couple holds dual retirement ceremony after more than 20 years together in the Air Force Published Dec. 4, 2009 By Mary Lou Gorny Hilltop Times editor HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Twenty four and a half years ago, Master Sgt. David Aguillard began his service in the Air Force. Tech. Sgt. Cindy Aguillard, his wife, entered Air Force service 20 years ago, but where her husband's service was entirely active duty, Cindy served a combined total of 10 years active duty and the rest combined in service with the Air Force Reserve and the Michigan Air National Guard. On Nov. 24, a joint retirement ceremony at the Hill Aerospace Museum acknowledged their respective years of service. Cindy, 500th Aircraft Sustainment Squadron, works for the Headquarters Pacific Air Force, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and is the Pacific Air Force's Logistics liaison officer, and is retiring from the Reserves. Before his enlistment, Dave was working two jobs and going to college and found the Air Force could help him accomplish his goals more easily. Cindy was working fast food in a small farming community outside of Saginaw, Mich., and felt it was time to expand her horizons. She chose the Air Force out of all the other military services thinking there was little chance she would see combat. "All that changed once the first Gulf War kicked off," Cindy said. Since Cindy had not started college yet, she came into the Air Force on a four year enlistment with "no stripes" as an Airman basic and was part of a program known as Direct Duty Assignment -- hands-on training in addition to hitting the books. Warehouse journeyman was her trade, now better known as logistics. Her first job was in the Base Service Store where military organizations would shop for all their office products and furniture. When the war started a little after a year of her service at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., "things happened to me that grew me up fast and shaped the person I would later become," she said as she recalled having to take cover as the night sky was lit up over her camp by SCUD missiles during that time, and the skills learned in basic training and chemical warfare training came in handy. After temporary duty assignments in England and Germany, a remote tour to Osan Air Base, Korea, and another assignment to Beale AFB, Calif., where she completed her six-year enlistment, she separated from the military. After working in the civilian sector for about six months, a longing for the military and what it had to offer, like the medical and dental benefits, led her to re-enlist with the Air Force Reserves and receive an assignment at Duke Field, Fla. When she decided to pursue her education, she returned home to Michigan as a full-time student and transferred into the Michigan Air National Guard. After three and a half years her student loan debt was sizeable, so when the opportunity presented itself to come back on active duty and get those paid off, she took it. She was reactivated and was sent to Shaw AFB, S.C. A temporary duty assignment from Shaw took her to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, where she met David. She was responsible for assigning everyone dorm rooms there and he was a dorm manager for the civil engineering squadron. An initial phone conversation between the two of them to resolve a dorm issue eventually turned personal and there was an instant connection. His duty assignment at the time was at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and hers at Shaw, meant a long distance relationship was ahead for the couple. Eventually Cindy took the "Palace Chase" route into the Reserves and took on an assignment at Hickam in June 2003. They married in August 2003. They have a son, Aaron Ivan Christian Aguillard. "It was never my intent to make a career out of the military," Cindy said, "but I am glad I did." Dave has had an interesting career as well. In 1988, he was hand selected by the Headquarters Air Force to become part of the F-117A Stealth Fighter program at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada. After his tour was up, he was assigned to Davis Monthan, AFB, in Tucson, Ariz., where he turned his interest in several hobbies into a new career field and cross-trained into the para-rescue career field. Two knee injuries brought Dave back into logistics and sent him packing to Hawaii for an eight-year assignment. While part of the HQ PACAF staff, he received recognition for his involvement during the 2004 tsunami relief effort in the Sumatra region. Once again selected by Headquarters Air Force, Dave was sent on temporary duty to Pohnpei in Micronesia, as part of a 13-man team of civil engineers, a Civil Action Team. While there he volunteered to be a rescue diver for the Micronesia Games, in his time off, and when a female rower experienced a seizure and fell from her kayak during a long distance race, he jumped from a rescue boat trailing the participants, brought her back to the surface, performed CPR on her while still in the water and got her back into the boat once the boat circled back for them. Doctors were waiting on shore and administered medical aid. Dave was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for his part in the rescue. Dave talked about meeting Cindy, smiling broadly, and was quick to recount the day in which they had both determined to propose to each other without the other knowing it. "I had pre-positioned the engagement ring -- we were at the Macaroni Grill in Columbia, S.C., and I had already contacted the waiter. The plan was, at dessert they would bring out the ring in a champagne glass with the dessert; I was going to propose then. And unbeknownst to me, Cindy beat me to the punch. She proposed to me before dessert." "I bought him an actual engagement ring," Cindy said. They are both proud of their educational degrees, with the added opportunity to be classmates during many of their undergraduate studies. Dave will graduate this spring with his master's degree and Cindy will start graduate school thereafter. "What the military did for me was to enhance the discipline and strong work ethic my parents had instilled in me," Cindy said. "The military broadened that foundation by giving me a sense of pride in myself and in my country, and opened my eyes up to all the different cultures that are out there to learn about. It took a small town shy girl and turned me into an independent, strong willed, not afraid to speak my mind individual," Cindy said. She looks back at all the ups and downs throughout her career and declares herself a better person for all of it. Dave has many accomplishments he is proud of in his career. First and foremost is his family that consists of his two sons, Kristofer and Aaron, his daughter, Krystal, and his granddaughter, Kryiana. He is also proud of his wife for delivering their son Aaron through natural childbirth, without any pain medication. "Cindy squeezed my hand so hard I'm the one who needed the painkillers." He also proudly recalls the day his mother was able to watch him walk across the stage to receive his college degree with honors. He also received the PACAF Commander's Logistics Professional Provider of the Year honor two years consecutively and Headquarters PACAF Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year. He most recently was STEP promoted by Maj. Gen. Polly Peyer to the rank of master sergeant. Of the effects of an active duty career, Dave said, "I was an introvert in high school. The Air Force gave me a lot of confidence and allowed me to finally blossom -- personally and professionally." He looks to the future after his retirement from active duty and will start his civilian job at Hill AFB at the 506th Aircraft Sustainment Squadron, becoming the new T-38 Sustainment Integrator manager. He also looks forward to supporting his wife's dream of owning her own business some day. Cindy works in a civilian capacity currently as part of the PAC program in the 417th Supply Chain Management Squadron as the item manager for the C-5 aircraft wheels and brakes. What they have gotten from their military experiences has helped shape their careers, polished them and delivered them into a bright future -- together.