Life after military retirement presents itself in many ways. Some feel the relief of pressure released, others feel sadness of a part of themselves suddenly missing. For Chief Master Sergeant (Ret.) Ernest “Kacky” Crider, it is a little bit of both that hit at different times.
Kacky had a long military career both in the Air Force and the Navy, serving over 20 years with a 6 year break in between. “I separated from the Navy because I did not feel cared for and felt like I was a number. I did not realize how good I had it until I joined the civilian workforce and struggled. I didn’t find the same level of camaraderie, family, standards, accountability. I enjoyed my time in the AF so much more because I had a different level of context than ever before.”
He left service for good after his intimate Air Force retirement ceremony on April 26, 2024, after serving 3 years at Minot AFB as the 91st Missile Wing Command Chief. Kacky planned to stay in Minot after retirement and hopes to move back someday, but family circumstances led him to move back to Ohio for the time being. He used the summer immediately following retirement staying busy on various projects like rebuilding a house and taking several fishing trips to both Alaska and Canada.
But now that the novelty of not working has worn off, Kacky admits that life after the military is a bit harder than he originally thought. “I was confident I made the transition seamlessly. However, having run out of projects, I recognize the void that exists. I was/am determined to unplug. I did my time and hope I made a positive impact. I cannot dwell on the current state of the Air Force as it exists now or in the future.”
Looking back on his Active Duty time with nostalgia, Kacky tried to explain what it was like. He said, “The first word [to describe it] is blur. It went by so fast. The second word is family. I miss the people. Family is the greatest gift the military gave me. It gave me a multitude of friends and family all over the globe.”
A pivotal time in Kacky’s career was when he was a Flight Engineer with the 6th Air Refueling Squadron out of Travis AFB where he experienced some difficult working conditions. “I had a MSgt Superintendent who was an iron-fisted kind of guy. Everyone either hated him, was afraid of him, or both. He promoted me to a position ahead of a bunch of people. After a few months, it was clear he put me in that position because he thought he could control me and dictate how I ran the shop. He simply wanted to run it through me.” After he endured another horrible day on the job he responded to an email advertising a position at Wing Protocol. He interviewed and got the job and moved positions by the next week. “I went from living an extremely sheltered life thinking the Air Force revolved around my KC-10 to quickly realizing how much Air Force was going on around me that I had no idea about.”
After this job change, Kacky was able to be introduced to several of his professional mentors: CMSgt Eric Jaren, who was the Air Force Material Command Command Chief at the time, and CMSgt Sandra Johnson. He explained that these two mentors helped him learn about the Air Force and changed the way he approached the job. “So to say that disagreement with my boss changed the trajectory of my career is an understatement.” He never went back to being an active flyer again after this experience.
When discussing his thoughts about the importance of Veterans Day and how he views it differently now that he is retired, Kacky explained, “I am not sure setting a day aside is enough for everything this country’s veterans have done. For most of my career, I have lived in areas with great military support from the community. Minot, ND, is at the top of that list. But I remember weeks of protests at the gates of Kirtland early in my career and a time when I could not wear my uniform off base. The support we receive from the 99+ % is very important.”
As Kacky continues to navigate the life of a civilian, he knows time will continue to evolve, but one thing he knows for sure: “I spent the majority of my life serving this great country. It is a part of who I am. I hope I had a positive impact on enough people to move this mighty machine forward in the best direction. I will slowly transition further and further from the service. At the moment, I have decided to continue mentoring Airmen and being a resource. But I do so knowing it is now their Air Force and not mine. I try not to miss an opportunity to thank a member for their service.”
Ernest Crider “Kacky” is one of the thousands of veterans who have served valiantly in the United State Military. Thank-you for your service!
View our full Tribute to Service: https://www.nordaknorth.com/newspapers/northernsentry/online-issues/tribute-to-veterans-2024/
