Ross Anderson takes command

It seems like only yesterday that my son, Ross, and his big brother, Dean, sat in the back of our Piper Cub playing "roller coaster" over the rich farmland of the Willamette Valley near Beaverton. It all began when the two of them, Ross about six years of age and Dean, 7-1/2, sat side-by-side in the back seat of our old 1947 Cub.

They discovered that when they pulled the stick back, the nose went up, and when they pushed the stick forward, the nose went down.

Hour after hour, we putt-putted over the farmlands, up down, up down, up down, they almost made me sick to my stomach, but they laughed and loved it.

In later years, Dean went to Air Force ROTC at OSU, learned to fly F-16 Viper Jets, found a good woman to marry and is now a full colonel living in Germany with his wife and five children.

Dean is up to his ears in a great deal of what's going on in Europe and Southeast Asia, and he'd probably have to shoot me if he told me all of what he's doing.

Ross has his own story. The urge to fly was always in Ross's heart. Ever since he sat in the back seat of the Cub trying to catch a nickel that would lift off his knee as his brother shoved the stick forward, causing negative g's that lifted the nickel into the air. (At every annual inspection, we found almost $10 worth of nickels in the belly of the Cub.)

After a couple of years of "play" (well, some of it involved serious studies in business school) at the U of O, Ross had the opportunity to realize his dream of flying when he attended Lane Community College. He graduated from Lane as a FAA Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CF-double I) with a Commercial Airman's Certificate in his pocket. Not too long after his graduation, his lovely wife of today, Doni, nailed him down and they now have two strapping sons. Right after marriage, Ross followed his brother into ROTC at OSU and took his flight training at the NATO training base at Randolph AFB, Texas. (This, incidentally, is his middle name, "Randolph.")

He stayed at Randolph after graduation as a flight instructor for two years and eventually went to fly and become an F-16 Instructor Pilot. He flew sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as they say, the rest is history - right up to his taking command of the 482nd Operations Group at Homestead AFBR, Florida in July, 2008.

The press release from Homestead reads like this:

The new commander arrives at Homestead Air Reserve Base after serving as the deputy operations group commander at the 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station, Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas. Colonel Anderson is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours flying the F-16, including sorties over Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Colonel Anderson comes in with instant credibility," said Col. William B. Binger, 482nd Fighter Wing commander. "He's a warrior and a leader. He's served on multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he wears the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism. Through thick and thin, the 482nd Operations Group will be in great hands."

Colonel Anderson began his first speech as commander by welcoming distinguished visitors, operations group members, the wing's senior commanders and his family.

"I've been to war with you. I've seen your acts and what you've done," Colonel Anderson said to the men and women of the operations group. "I'm honored and humbled to be a part of this organization. I see myself as a man who can give you the 'vector,' but I'll never forgot who's doing the real work."

He concluded his speech by recalling some words of wisdom he received from a former commander.

"The first day I assume command is about me. Every day afterwards, it's all about you," he said.

That's what can happen when you invite your kids to play with the controls of a Piper Cub.