The calendar tells us that it is 2025, an odd numbered year, and it really means very little to most of us, it means that this year we will have to say farewell to Deputy Commanders Col George Chapman from the 91st Missile Wing, and Col Benjamin Jensen of the 5th Bomb Wing.
The three of us, Col’s Jensen, Chapman and I, agree that it just seems like yesterday that we all sat down and had a candid conversation about their new assignments at Minot Air Force Base. Col Jensen arrived in Minot from Barksdale AFB where he was the Chief of Bomber Requirements Division, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La. Col Chapman arrived in Minot from the Pentagon where he was Chief, Nuclear Force Development Division, Directorate of Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Force locate in the Pentagon.
As they two men were planning for their last days at Minot AFB, they both were courteous enough to sit down and discuss their futures. We’ll start with Col Jensen, who announced earlier this spring that Minot AFB would be his final assignment, as he is retiring after he is finished at MAFB.
Col Benjamin Jensen
“So here’s what I have for you” says Col Jensen as the interview begins “we moved 15 times, we’ve had 11 children, we’ve gone to 30 different schools over the course of our time in the Air Force, we’ve had 3 deployments we’ve been involved in in 24 years, we lived in 9 states, (in our family we’ve had) 2 Masters Degrees, 3 Bachelor’s degrees, 5 of our kids have graduated from high school, 2 of them have served church missions…we’ve accomplished 2 staff assignments, 2 flying assignments, and in addition to that I’ve had 2 school assignments like going through pilot training, but I would add to that, even though these are the stats, that the things that have been great have been the people. We’ve relished Minot as kind of our home, and we’ve enjoyed the people here and we’ve really enjoyed the variety of people we’ve met and the friends we have made as we’ve moved from place to place.
They say that you always need something to retire to, is there something that Col Jensen is retiring to?
Col Jensen: That’s a hard question for me because I don’t have plans for work necessarily, my plans are to reconstitute with my family and extended family, and spending time with them, and yes there are a variety of business opportunities available. Amya and I really want to be involved in the community and to serve, whether it be in schools are on school boards, or on city councils or other positions in the state, and sometime as our children have done we’d like to go serve a church mission as well as a couple.
Col Jensen and his family are moving back to American Fork, Utah where the Jensens have family ties and where they have children going to college in the same area. The Jensens are also (any maybe the event has already happened) expecting a granddaughter on the 7th of June. There are other goals too, as Amy Jensen would like to get her master’s degree. The Jensens love music and art, and they want to keep their remaining kids at home involved in “activities that keep them growing and progressing” according to Col Jensen.
Your time in Minot, what were the highlights?
Col Jensen: This is actually our 3rd time in Minot. The first time we came here was in 2003. We wanted to come up here on purpose, we researched the schools and the community, and we were not disappointed. We were very pleased to get up here and have that hometown feel like the area where I grew up and where Amy grew up. The schools are wonderful the friends we made were wonderful. It was the first time that I was deployed to Afghanistan and we had great support from the community as well as on base. Amy has always loved serving with the spouses, their kids and they play groups and all of the things that go on with that, and so Minot has been a home away from home.
The second time we came up was during the flood. We were delayed getting about 2 and ½ months. I got re-called to Barksdale and Amy moved the kids and herself to Idaho and our stuff (home possessions) went into storage. Amy got our kids enrolled in school in Idaho for 2 and ½ months until we were allowed to come on base. They did it basically by family. When they had housing available they said this person we need for the mission so we’ll allow them to come in, so we got up here in that process.
Seeing the amazing neighbor taking care of neighbor, family taking care of family here; the stories you here about one family having a dry place to live, and another family needing a place to live, and so the family that needed a home moved in and they lived with the family that had a place for months. Of course, we were for all of the cleanup with the base helping downtown. It was an amazing amount of work, and an amazing amount of friendship and charity and support that happened because here in Minot people care about people.
How has it gone for your family?
Col Jensen: They have thrived. They loved being in the Air Force. Moving around, meeting different friends. Even though they are sad when they leave, technology has allowed them to keep in touch…we have a big (cell) phone plan.
The things they have learned over the years as far as friendship and appreciation, they are very accepting. They understand what it’s like to show up and be the new person. You know for my kids to have been, cumulatively, in 30 different schools over time; I think the daughter that had the most had been at 11 different schools, which just blows my mind. We have one (daughter) who just graduated from college and has joined the Air Force and she’s studying cyber security, which is awesome. We have 4 that are currently in college; one that is pursuing education and working with handicapped children. The first 5, all girls, have graduated from high school. The other kids are in school, running cross country, swimming, playing basketball as much as they could.
Any additional thoughts?
Col Jensen: When I talk about Minot, I share with people that Minot is the very best place they can come serve. It’s not because it’s easy, it’s hard. But it’s because the people are great. The experiences that you have will develop you into the type of person, the type of leader and the type of community member that our nation needs. You can tell the people who have served in Minot.
Col George Chapman
Col Chapman will be headed for F.E. Warren AFB in Cheyenne, Wyoming where he will become the Deputy Commander of the 20th Air Force under Maj. Gen. Stacy Jo Huser.
Let’s talk about the last 2 years in Minot?
Col Chapman: Minot was like nothing we could have imagined. When the Chapman family first received our orders to come up to Minot, it was more of a novelty for us because we had never been here before. For the over 2 decades of my military career, my wife was afraid of the prospect of coming to Minot, North Dakota. So, then you get here, and you very soon embrace the assignment for all that you can. It felt like that for every little bit that we poured into the assignment, it felt like the assignment was pouring twice back into us. This has been an enriching experience. It was rewarding professionally; it was rewarding personally for our family. We learned a lot about what it means to be a part of a community. We’ve never been in a community where it felt so seamless, so lashed together like Minot the community is with Minot Air Force Base and the 91st Missile Wing and Team Minot and across the installation. It’s been awesome.
There have been times where there were lows, and tears with those low points, hardships, tough times…I would say more so at the interpersonal level as you are caring about your Airmen, as you work with others, as you experience sorrow, sadness, hardships…never were there tears for the negative 40 degree weather, for the snow, not even the Dak Rats. There were times when we felt beat, but at the opposite end of that spectrum there were tears of joy, and just heartfelt moments of celebration and gratitude and happiness. So, we felt the full range of emotions in all of the settings.
In Minot we have great teammates. I was fortunate to have Col Jensen as my counterpart on the 5th Bomb Wing Side. We just struck a chord and got along well from the very beginning. We just clicked, and our children also clicked really clicked. And as far as living on base, I’ve lived on base before but when you live on base here you feel like you are part of a community. There’s different dynamics here. The neighborhoods feel like neighborhoods. It doesn’t feel sterile and static and cold. It wasn’t everyone taking their work home with them. When I went home it was fire pits, bar b ques…hey, you coming over to my place or am I going over to your place? Our kids are running between the homes. There’s a knock at the door and this roaming herd of kids says we need to grab your kid and get bigger and keep going. I just have to say it worked out really well.
Are there special moments or highlights that you’ll remember from your time in Minot?
Col Chapman: Any time I see a friend and get a hug, or a pat on the back. I know that happens all the time here, but those individual relationships, those individual embraces…loving, caring and friendships. I certainly will remember those moments. And I guess it’s going to the first term enlisted center and talking to the Airmen as they are brand new, bright and shiny on the installation, being able to shake every one of their hands, look at them face to face and get to know their names and get to know a little bit about them; going to promotion ceremonies, and when they (Airmen) are identified for promotion, those opportunities to surprise them in their work spaces surrounded by their peers, and to see their peers just whooping and hollering, and celebrating with the Airmen, and to hear word like, the Air Force got this one right, that’s pretty cool.
And there’s the Chief notifications, and spending time with my honorary commander, where I met him (Senator Randy Burkhard) and he had me sit with him on the legislative floor for a day and just walk around the state capital and meet his peers.
Col Chapman then paused the interview process to show me older Northern Sentry newspapers pulled from what presumably may have been a time capsule that was discovered in the wall of the 91st MW headquarters bldg during a remodeling project. Looking through the newspapers, a lot was the same. Col Chapman read a letter to the people of Minot from Brig General Raymund O’Mara, who was apparently stationed at Minot Air Force base. It was certainly easy to draw a parallel between his word of gratitude to the citizens of Minot for their friendship to both Gen O’Mara and his wife.
Any more final thoughts?
Col Chapman: I like to end where often I like to begin, and that’s gratitude. I am really grateful for the opportunity I had to come up here, to serve in the capacity that was afforded me. I am grateful for the community partners, the base Team Minot partners for the Airmen. We are products of our experiences and I am blessed to have lots of formative experiences. Challenging, but equally rewarding if not more. Professionally fulfilled, grateful for my family and the community that has embraced us and made this an amazing 2-year journey.
The Chapman’s had a very special family moment just weeks ago when two of their sons advanced to the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 425. I had a chance to talk with these outstanding young men at the going away party held in Col Chapman’s honor.
From those of us at the Northern Sentry, we once again cling to the phrase that only the best come North…and we ad because we certainly believe That Only The Very Best Leave…
