Photo By Maj. Jennifer Gerhardt | After more than three decades in uniform, first in boots as an infantryman, later in...... read more read more
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by Maj Jennifer Gerhardt
EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ark.— After more than three decades in uniform, first in boots as an infantryman, later in blues as an officer, Col. Michael Martin, the 188th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group commander, retired from the Arkansas Air National Guard on May 4, 2025.
Fresh out of high school in 1993, Martin enlisted in the U.S. Army. This decision would launch him on a 31-year path across three components: active-duty Army, the Arkansas Army National Guard, and ultimately, the Arkansas Air National Guard.
“I was excited, but a little apprehensive,” Martin said, reflecting on those early infantry days. “All of the physical stuff was expected, but what I realized early in the school was how strong the link between mental and physical attitudes was. If you could keep a positive attitude and not give up, your body would follow suit. But if you gave up mentally and only thought about how hot, tired or hungry, you were, your body would quit on you.”
Discipline in the small things and resilience in the face of adversity became the foundation of his career that spanned generations. His father, a C-130 navigator and former KC-135 boom operator, had shown him what service could look like. But it was the hard-earned lessons of training and leadership that made him stay.
One of the proudest moments came in 2002 when he commissioned through the Academy of Military Science. At his pin-on ceremony, his parents pinned to his shoulders the same second lieutenant bars his father had once worn. Today, those bars sit in his retirement shadowbox.
Throughout his service, he relied not on a single mentor, but on the mosaic of people around him—commanders, peers, and junior Airmen alike.
“I watched, I learned. Some showed me what to do, others what not to do,” he said. “Either way, it shaped me.”
Although tempted to retire in 2021 after reaching 20 years of active service, he chose to stay. “I stayed because I had more to give and was blessed with an opportunity to serve in a higher capacity,” Martin said.
Now, as he steps away, his future is wide open. “I’m on the ‘no plan’ plan and taking time to focus on family, friends, and my health.”
His advice to those still serving?
“Keep going until it’s no longer fun or you feel there is no purpose to your contributions. When you dread going to work or to drill, it’s time to pivot. Until then, keep doing the small things right. They always matter.”
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2025 13:32 |
| Story ID: | 497297 |
| Location: | ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 227 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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