194th Wing members working together again after 40 years

Photo By Airman Jordaan Kvale | Wesley Colberg, 194th Wing occupational safety, Lenny Deboma, 194th Wing chief of information, and Craig Schlatman, 194th Wing director of psychological health, stand in front of the 194th Wing logo at Camp Murray, Wash. Colberg, Deboma and Schlatman were stationed together at RAF Alconbury, England, almost 40 years ago. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman Jordaan Kvale)  

CAMP MURRAY, WA, UNITED STATES

12.04.2023

Story by Airman Jordaan Kvale 

194th Wing

CAMP MURRAY, WASH. -- “It’s a small Air Force” is an expression used when service members realize they have a shared experience, duty location or personal contact. This was certainly the case for three 194th Wing civilian employees who were stationed together nearly 40 years ago at RAF Alconbury, England.

Wesley Colberg, occupational safety manager, Lenny Deboma, chief of information protection, and Craig Schlatman, director of psychological health, were not aware of their common military connection until they began working together on Camp Murray.

Before becoming the occupational safety manager for the 194th Wing, Colberg served active duty for the Air Force. His first duty station was RAF Alconbury in 1985 where he was a munitions service specialist for four years. Colberg recalls encountering Deboma on a couple occasions.

“He got there somewhere around the same time I was there, and he worked in the WSA, the weapon storage area,” said Colberg. “I knew him to say hi to but not really to interact.”

Deboma worked with the Security Police Squadron, which is the same as Security Forces today. Although Deboma does not remember Colberg from Alconbury, he would later cross paths with him at McChord Air Force Base. In the early 2000s, Colberg was in the safety office for the 62nd Airlift Wing on McChord AFB. On one particular occasion, Colberg needed an office space to use for an inspection team. He was told to talk to the 446 Security Forces Squadron, which is where Deboma was.

“I walked over and started talking to Lenny, which I for the life of me just didn’t remember at the time who he was,” said Colberg. “And I just happened to see his football helmet.”

Deboma had played football for Alconbury and Colberg immediately recognized the helmet. That sparked their conversation and connection. It was an almost identical connection with Schlatman. Colberg realized that they had been stationed at the same base when he saw one of Schlatman’s old patches.

Schlatman was stationed at Alconbury from 1988-1990. He was a pilot and flew the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Although he never interacted with Colberg or Deboma, they have a few stories in common.

“We actually moved from a different base in Britain called RAF Bentwaters,” said Schlatman. “When our squadron moved to Alconbury there was a big shuffle of squadrons. They had Reconnaissance F-4s there for a time and F-5 Aggressor aircraft.”

Colberg assisted with the transition when the A-10s arrived. He would also drop off munitions where Schlatman worked.

There was one instance when an A-10’s brakes malfunctioned and it ran off the runway, said Schlatman. Deboma had just come on shift at the Security Forces Control Center and sent his patrols out to ensure that the area was contained, he said. The pilot was not injured but understandably unhappy. Sharing this story decades later, Deboma discovered that the pilot was Schlatman’s friend.

Many memories are formed in the Air Force, memories which sometimes lead to strange but bonding connections. That is the case for Colberg, Deboma and Schlatman. These three gentlemen, who unknowingly worked together at RAF Alconbury nearly 40 years ago, are working together once more here at the 194th Wing on Camp Murray.

• Date Taken: 12.04.2023
• Date Posted: 12.05.2023 18:42
• Story ID: 459004
• Location: CAMP MURRAY, WA, US