HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Meet Grady Forte, superintendent of the Office of the Inspector General with the Ogden Air Logistics Complex. Grady’s journey with the Air Force began at birth, growing up during his father's 28-year Air Force career. Inspired by his father's legacy, Grady entered active duty in 1987, ultimately retiring with a combined 32 years of active duty and reserve service. He credits this accomplishment to his faith, and unwavering support from his wife of 36 years, Sharlene, their three children, Justin, Colton, and Caitlin, and his entire patriotic family.
In 1996, Grady transitioned to civil service and became a member of the “depot family” within the OO-ALC. He leveraged his F-16 crew chief experience and began as a pneudraulics systems mechanic in the 573rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, working alongside seasoned professionals on many of the same aircraft he maintained while in uniform. He progressed through the paygrades to become an AG mechanic/AR electrician crew supervisor and supported critical warfighter programs on many F-16 pre- and post-block modifications and the Peace Falcon F-16 regeneration program. Later, he supervised the Aircraft Examination and Inventory section for the A-10, C-130, and F-16 before he moved to F-16 customer support, where he connected with units that received their aircraft back from depot after modification.
During this period, Grady earned associate degrees from both the Community College of the Air Force and Weber State University, followed by a bachelor's degree from the University of Phoenix. Grady put knowledge into action and soon became the Foreign Object Damage/Dropped Object Prevention program manager for both Hill AFB and the Complex. In 2017, he assumed his current role.
Although Grady’s Air Force career, both in uniform and civilian, might be full of fascinating twists and turns, he also leads an interesting life outside the gate. Grady enjoys what he calls “wrenching,” which means he loves to work on old trucks. His collection includes a 1951, 1970 and 1978 GM trucks. Grady also enjoys woodworking in his shop where he builds archways, backdrops, benches, tables and other items for the wedding décor rental business he and Sharlene own and operate.
Grady also yearns to be outdoors. He says he loves nature and hikes to remain healthy and for pure enjoyment. He is a fair weather hiker and notes a couple of his favorite trails are to “Island Lake” and “Malan’s Peak”.
“When you get up in elevation, you can see across the valley, and the views are spectacular,” he said.
Grady has a goal to hike Angel’s Landing and the rim of the Grand Canyon in the future. He also hopes to soon incorporate his love of spending time with Sharlene, and “wrenching” on his vintage GM trucks, to get into the truck show scene and back out cruising like they did in their younger years.