In the beginning
A teenage girl, curious about what the blue-suited neighborhood recruiter was all about, decided trying to join the Air Force would be the best way to find out. sThe rigor of the initial fitness exam proved too much for the young girl, but a friend she persuaded to accompany her did indeed pass and went on to join the Air Force. Twenty-nine years later, the young recruit is now Chief Master Sgt. Patti Hickman, who after 24 years here at the 459th Air Refueling Wing and previous incarnations, will depart in April.