Tech. Sgt. Maxie Cardinal, 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron, was recently awarded a $500 scholarship by the Association of Air Force Missileers (AAFM). The CMSgt Dick “Hawk” Hochheiser Memorial Scholarship was founded because of Hawk’s “unrivaled technical expertise coupled with his humble, approachable, and humorous personality” which “positively influenced thousands of contractors, and active duty ICBM personnel.” The AAFM offers many scholarships and programs with their mission to “…preserve the history of USAF missile systems and the people who develop, test, deploy, operate, maintain, and support them.”

After completing a questionnaire on the AF Portal, Cardinal discovered the CMSgt Hochheiser scholarship and others that he was eligible for because of his work with ICBMs and his other accomplishments. Because he was working towards his bachelor’s degrees, Cardinal was then awarded the scholarship due to his dedication within his field. Cardinal mentioned that he had been previously unaware of the vast amount of scholarships and aid that were available in this regard.

The Association of Air Force Missileers is a non-profit organization that is open to any person that worked within the missile frame, not just missile operators. Their website https://www.afmissileers.org/About states, “Our membership includes over 4,000 former and current missileers and friends of missileers. Members represent every USAF missile system from the earliest development programs in the 1940s to current missile and space systems. Members are active duty, retired or discharged missileers or civilians who served in operations, maintenance, munitions, research and development, communications, training, security, safety and all areas of support of Air Force missiles and represent every rank from young airmen to senior leadership in both the officer and enlisted ranks.”

Cardinal has been stationed at Minot AFB for nearly 20 years and currently serves as an electrical mechanical technician. He said that even though he has been only stationed at one location, he has worked for four different major commands and that he and his family absolutely love it here in Minot.

Looking to the future and Air Force retirement has forced Cardinal to think about what his life looks like after military service. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree from Minot State University to get his teacher certification in high school sciences. Cardinal loves to utilize his critical thinking skills by understanding the principles behind scientific methods and is specifically interested in earth sciences. His degree is still in process, but Cardinal is grateful for the scholarship opportunities to help him work for his goal.

When asked what the most important part of the process was, Cardinal explained that he wanted to spread awareness for the AAFM and all that they do. He said he has been a part of the ICBM community for a long time and was not previously aware of all the things the AAFM organization offers and does for those in the missile community. He wished he had been a part of it sooner. The scholarship also comes with a three-year complimentary membership to the AAFM.
Congratulations to TSgt Cardinal and good luck in your future both in and out of the Air Force!