Kansas Air Force veteran went on over 700 flights across the world

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A U.S. Air Force veteran enlisted months before 9/11 and said his 22 years serving were life-changing for him and his family.

Chris Thurston had just graduated from Wichita Heights High School and married his high school sweetheart when he enlisted in August 2001.

“I didn’t know what to do with my life, so I decided to join the Air Force,” he said.

Thurston was assigned to basic training in November.

“So I was going in before, but I would have gone in a heartbeat after September 11th,” he said.

After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Thurston continued his tech school training at Shepherd Air Force Base in Texas. Then, he studied bomber avionics at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.

“Tromping around on the flight line on ice that feels like glass under your feet, it just doesn’t break even when you walk on it,” he said.

The cold weather during his seven years was one reason he decided to continue training, learning a new skill that would take him across the world working on the Airborne Warning and Control System known as AWACS.

His job while stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was to make sure the aircraft’s computer system was working.

“So it’s always a high pressure. Get it fixed right now, or you know the guys on the ground are blind,” Thurston said.

Sometimes, that meant software fixes. Other times, the 1970s-era technology needed low-tech attention.

“So we blew into the Nintendo cartridges and plugged it back in, and most of the time, that fixes it,” Thurston laughed.

He was on over 700 flights, spending long hours in the air.

“My longest flight on AWACS was 17.1,” Thurston said. “It’s tiring cause altitude takes it out of you.”

Most of his six deployments were to the Middle East.

“Watching our bones come back. Weapons empty. That’s … it’s a good feeling because you know you’re protecting the guys on the ground over there,” Thurston said.

He spent his last five years in Germany with NATO, and his time in Europe provided new opportunities for his family.

“So my son and my daughter graduated in Germany, and then my youngest is here now in her junior year,” Thurston said.

Thurston logged over 2,600 hours in the air over 14 years, leaving the Air Force in 2023 with the rank of master sergeant after 22 years of service.

His transition back to civilian life was an adjustment.

“So I started leaning on the vet center down on McLean, and they helped me quite a bit through the transition process,” Thurston said.

Since getting out, he’s done home repair and roofing. He’s thankful for the experience and the support he received from his family.

“You know my wife. I can’t. I can’t talk enough about her,” Thurston said. “So she’s been with me through it all, and you know, I really couldn’t have done it without her.”

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