Photo By Diana Nesukh | During a summer day in Paris, Arkansas, Ronald Redding experienced what would...... read more read more
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During a summer day in Paris, Arkansas, Ronald Redding experienced what would ultimately become a defining moment in his life. He was swimming in a lake with his friend when he saw a fighter jet flying over them. Even though he was in elementary school at the time, the moment was ingrained in his mind.
Years later in August 2000, Redding was the one flying over his hometown in an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. “I got to fly over my hometown and I saw all of the neighborhood kids waving at us from below,” Redding recounted. “I often wonder if any of those kids had the same feeling I did as a kid and were inspired to join the Air Force because of it.”
Redding ended up spending nearly four decades serving in the United States Air Force before officially retiring in 2018. However, his military career initially began in the Arkansas Army National Guard where he served as a Field Artillery soldier.
“I joined because of my dad. He was a First Sergeant in the Arkansas Army National Guard, and I grew up in that environment my entire life,” Redding recalled. It wasn’t long, however, before his yearning for active duty led him to the Air Force as a firefighter at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas.
Life's demands, along with his wife's desire to return to their hometown to teach, prompted Redding to make yet another jump. He decided to take advantage of the Palace Chase program – a voluntary program that allowed Airmen to transfer from active service to selected reserve service – and embarked on a new path that allowed him to cross-train into the Disaster Preparedness career field with the 188th Fighter Wing while simultaneously working as a civilian firefighter on base with the Arkansas State Military Department.
Following his completion of the 242 technical school for Disaster Preparedness at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, Redding's military career took a turn towards emergency management. Over the next 11 years, Redding served as a traditional Guardsman, progressing to the rank of Master Sergeant and upgrading through the 5- and 7-skill levels.
In the wake of the tragic events of September 11th, Redding was activated to support Operation Noble Eagle, serving for nearly a year. In November 2002, he transitioned to the Active Guard Reserve Readiness Flight Supervisor position, marking his formal shift from fire protection to full-time emergency management.
Redding's career reached its zenith between 2006 and 2010, when he helped establish the Deployed for Training program at the 188th Regional Training Site in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Known as Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Special Tactics and Response, or CBRN STAR, the two-week course encompassed HazMat Technician certification and training in Sensitive Site Assessment and Sensitive Site Exploitation, aligned with the FBI’s 12-step sampling and evidence collection process. Over the next six years, Redding and his team trained more than 300 3E9s, significantly enhancing their CBRN mission capabilities.
In 2011, Redding's exceptional service led to his nomination by the National Guard Bureau to serve as one of the first Air National Guard 3E9 Chiefs assigned to a Federal Emergency Management Agency region. His promotion to Chief Master Sergeant followed in 2012, marking the beginning of his tenure as the Region 6 Chief of Emergency Management.
For over six years, he diligently supported five states and nine emergency management flights, working directly in state Joint Operations Centers as the Air National Guard Emergency Management liaison during major disasters and national-level domestic operations.
One of Redding’s biggest accomplishments through his time in Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve units was utilizing his expertise and leadership to help shape major milestones and transitions in the emergency management career field. “I take great pride in the contributions I’ve made to the growth and legacy of our career field,” he said. “It’s a legacy I will always cherish.”
After completing 33 years of dedicated service to his country, Redding knew he still had more to offer. Today, he is the lead cadre for the Air National Guard’s six-week Civil Engineer Emergency Management 3E9 5-Level Upgrade Training Course at the 188th Regional Training Site. There, he continues to prepare future 3E9s for both domestic and combat environments. He also supports the Specialized Personnel Equipment in Austere Reconnaissance Surveillance Course, ensuring they possess the necessary skills to excel in their roles as Air Force Civil Engineers.
"My connection to the military mission runs deep," Redding says. "With nearly 40 years of experience in domestic response and deployed operations, I strive to impart my knowledge onto the next generation of 3E9s before they return to their home units. I remain emotionally invested in the mission and the people who perpetuate it."
Redding encourages the young Airmen Civil Engineers of today to "Keep up the excellent work and continue leading the way. Leave your legacy – it's a responsibility and privilege that should be embraced with pride and determination."
As Redding looks back on his extraordinary career, he reflects on how sometimes it only takes one moment seeing a fighter jet fly over a lake to make the initial step toward a life of service.
| Date Taken: | 05.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2025 12:46 |
| Story ID: | 498947 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 538 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, All Hands On Deck: How One Moment Sparked Ronald Redding’s Lifetime of Service, by Diana Nesukh, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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