CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
The 437th Civil Engineer Squadron said goodbye to one of their teammates Tuesday who retired after 33 years of service to Charleston AFB.
Michael Holtsclaw, retiring as the 437 CES deputy chief of the Operations Flight, started his civil service career in October 1974 as an air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic. He also served as a mechanical engineering technician and a mechanical superintendent, before entering his most recent position as deputy chief.
"Mike's outstanding achievements during the past 33 years are second to none," said Maj. Chris Carter, 437 CES Operations Flight commander. "He's the perfect mix of engineer technician and engineer leader. He can synchronize numerous base requirements between multiple craftsmen and produce awesome results every time."
Prior to retiring, he managed a staff of 250 engineers and technicians.
"In an organization like CES, hard work that many do not care to do must get done every day to make this a great place to live, work and play," said Glenn Easterby, 437 CES deputy commander. "Mr. Holtsclaw was a master at finding ways to do it all, and supported this base with every ounce of his soul for more than 33 years."
Mr. Holtsclaw has a long list of accomplishments; one of his most distinctive and notable achievements was his contributions to the Grenada Invasions in 1983. He was approached by the Army to assist in the design and construction of a prototype portable aircraft refueling system. Until the Army officer showed him the photos four weeks after the Grenada Invasion, he was unaware that the prototype system he created was actually used for the invasion landing force.
"His record is full of 'service before self' and 'excellence in all we do' examples," said Major Carter. "Most notable is the critical role he played after Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston AFB in September 1989. He orchestrated the infrastructure and facility damage assessment and executed the critical projects needed to get Charleston's mobility mission back in the air."
Because of his extensive knowledge in Air Force refueling systems, he was tasked to host the Worldwide Liquid Fuels Maintenance Conference here in 1993. Two years later, he was recognized for his support of the $1.1 million repair of Truman Boulevard in Port-au-Prince as part of Exercise FAIRWINDS in 1995.
In addition, Mr. Holtsclaw was instrumental in supporting the C-17 Reliability, Maintainability, and Availability Evaluation and the C-17's first flight over Charleston at the Welcome Celebration in August 1995.
He was also a member of the Charleston AFB Artificial Reef Team and was recognized by the deputy undersecretary of defense for the win of the Coastal America Award in 2001. He and his team created an artificial fishing reef off the coast of Charleston from concrete rubble generated by a massive airfield reconstruction project.
In 2005, Mr. Holtsclaw demonstrated his resourcefulness and ingenuity to work "outside-the-box" deals with contracting and the Trane Corporation to achieve the largest renewable energy savings performance contract in the Air Force.
"In all, Mike's excellence has helped the squadron garner more than 15 Air Mobility Command and USAF awards, not to mention his numerous civilian of the year achievements," said Major Carter.
Mr. Holtsclaw says the best part of his job was the people he worked with. "They came from all walks of life and together we faced a wide range of challenges."
Mr. Holtsclaw's list of accomplishments goes on, but being able to look back on the past 33 years and see the changes his team has made on the base is just as significant as any other milestone.
"My biggest accomplishment is to have been a part of the team that was at the forefront of an era of new construction, reconstruction, renovation and demolition that has made Charleston the premier Air Force installation of the 21st century," said Mr. Holtsclaw. "During my career, every facility on this installation, with the exception of four, has been totally renovated or newly constructed and the infrastructure supporting them is well on its way to becoming state-of-the-art."
His co-workers and supervisors reiterated how much ground Mr. Holtsclaw has covered since the beginning of his civil service career.
"There is hardly a person or square inch of soil at Charleston AFB that he has not touched in one way or another," said Mr. Easterby. "Well done Mike!"
"There is no better sidekick I would have wanted to run CES Operations Flight with," said Major Carter. "And I sincerely thank him for his faithful service and leadership