OO-ALC In Focus: Ty Tate

  • Published
  • By Joshua Cyr
  • Ogden Air Logistics Complex

Meet Ty Tate, a sheet metal production supervisor with the 573d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group (309 AMXG) at Hill Air Force Base. Ty has spent the last 11 years with the AMXG, working aircraft structure modifications to the F-16s, ensuring aircraft are fully mission capable. He has enjoyed working all the modification programs to include, Falcon Star, Navy, canopy seal longeron stand alone, service life extension program and post block repair.

Ty was born and raised in Tooele, Utah. Tooele is also where he raised his right hand and swore to defend his country by serving in the in the United States Marine Corps. Ty served in Panama during the show of force during the Operation Just Cause in the late 80s and Operation Desert Storm in the early 90s. After honorably serving his tour, he decided to move back to Utah. He began working at Tooele Army Depot as a contractor with Batelle Solution, where he was primarily responsible for destroying chemical weapons. After working for Batelle Solution for 20 years, the company moved to Colorado. Ty and his family decided to stay in Utah, and that is when Ty began his new career at Hill Air Force Base.

Ty does more than work on airplanes. He enjoys the outdoors and is an avid hunter. Some of his prize winnings are elk, deer, and mule deer, which he has hunted locally and in all of Utah’s surrounding states. Last year, Ty ventured to Africa to hunt kudu, oryx, zebra, blesbok, gemsbok, warthog, and dik-dik. Ty stays in shape for hunting by going to the gym and hiking in the mountains.   

Ty also has an interesting family tradition. He and his brothers, uncles, and cousins serve as volunteer firefighters for the Tooele community. He likes helping to put out fires, but especially enjoys when he can interact with the community.

“I really enjoy teaching fire safety to elementary school children,” he said. “I also enjoy raising money for local families with firemen that have been injured on the job through a program called ‘Fill-the-Boot,’ as well as participating in flag ceremonies, graduations, parades, and funerals.”

Ty said that no matter how hard something is, keep going and be strong doing it.

“Being a volunteer firefighter is more than putting out fires,” he said. “It is being a positive figure in your community, and you must have a passion to do it. It’s about pride and dedication when putting on that fireman uniform and representing your small town, especially when it is a family tradition.”