Changing of the guard

It was a long way for my son Ross from sitting in the back seat of our 1946 Piper Cub in the early '60s - hauling the stick back and forth to cause the nose to go up and down - to becoming the commanding officer of the 926th Air Force Wing at Nellis AFB last week.

It was a momentous occasion when master of ceremonies Major Mckay Kingry - after the introductions of family and Air Force dignitaries was carried out - introduced General Lindberg, who then introduced Ross to the audience as the commanding officer of the newly organized 926th Wing, and gave everyone a brief account of Ross' career.

What he didn't know was that his story started many years earlier as a toddler at OMSI, holding eagles, owls, and hawks as they were banded, building and flying models with his dad, and rides in gliders at the North Plains Gliderport in the 1970s.

General Lindberg didn't mention Ross' first flying lessons in a restored Aeronca Champ in Bend, or his time at Lane Community College in Eugene, when he really got hooked on aviation as a career.

Ross earned his private, commercial and flight instructor instrument (CFII) ratings at Lane, then went on to build up hours by flying jumpers out of a parachute base in Corvallis. In 1989 he earned a bachelor of science degree through the USAF ROTC at Oregon State University.

Ross' decision to follow his big brother Dean into the Air Force was the day that took him on the course that culminated on his joining the Air Force Reserve Command in 1998, and the taking command of the 926th Wing on December 8.

After Ross signed up in the USAF, he served at the 80th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard AFB, Texas, and was probably the last of the breed of flight instructors to teach U.S. and European military pilots in the infamous, rugged old Cessna T-37 "Tweet." Shortly after he moved along from Sheppard, the U.S. Air Force upgraded to the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II.

It was at his graduation from Sheppard that I noted his name didn't come up until the last of the pilots had been awarded their new assignments. And, if my memory is correct, it was his commanding officer who gave Ross his next assignment to attend school to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon at Shaw AFB, SC and told a story how Ross was ready to be an instructor on just his first F-16 assignment.

Probably no other event in Ross's career lives with him as vividly as the time he caused Tiger Woods to end a historic record at Torrey Pines in 2000.

"Yep," Ross says today-still with some chagrin, "I can take full credit for ruining Tiger Woods' winning streak at the PGA golf tournament at Torrey Pines."

It happened this way: While Ross was flying with the USMC at Miramar Marine Corp Air Station, he and his flight of four F-16 "Viper" jets had been assigned to a war game that called for him and his flight to protect an "aircraft carrier" from hostile forces represented by 18 Marine F-18 Hornet jets.

When it came time for take-off, the weather was snotty, with ceilings down to less than 1,000 feet, and the tower could not give him and his flight permission to depart single-file VFR up through the overcast. So, after a discussion with his team and tower, they were given permission to take off from both parallel runways in formation, gather up over the golf tournament (unknown to them) and then-in military power-go up through the clouds in formation.

Worked slick as frog hair, but Ross was not aware of the impact of his fly-over on Tiger Woods and his wonderful golfing abilities.

Upon return to Miramar - after waxing the Marines and protecting the "aircraft carrier" from the hoard of bandits - Ross taxied into the parking area and saw his commanding officer waiting for him. He was sure that his boss was there to congratulate him for the excellent way he and his four-man team completed the exercise. Ross confidently raised the hatch, unbuckled his flight harness, and with a great big grin, greeted his commanding officer.

His CO, Lt Col Lance Undhjem, without preamble and not a trace of a smile said, "Where am I going to bury the body?"

"Whose?" he asked.

"Yours!"

Turned out, Lt. Col. Undhjem was at the tournament enjoying the contest when Ross' flight of fighters went over at about 1,000 feet AGL in full military power and vanished into the clouds, leaving Tiger Woods with his face hanging out.

Now, in spite of that humbling experience, Colonel Ross Anderson is the new C.O. of the 926th Reserve Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, and has the wonderful responsibility of strengthening our wonderful airmen. I sleep better knowing our nation is in good hands.