Pulaski Times

U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) recognized the service and sacrifice of Kenneth Griffin in ‘Salute to Veterans,’ a series highlighting the military service of Arkansans.

Griffin’s father served in the Air Force, and the family moved frequently to support his mission. “He would take me out to the airplanes when we were in California and Guam, sit me in the cockpit and he’d say, ‘son you want to be an Air Force pilot’ so that was ingrained in my head from being a little kid,” Griffin said.

After his father's retirement, the family settled in Batesville. Griffin graduated from Batesville High School and enlisted in the Air Force. Reflecting on basic training, he said, “It was exactly what I expected it to be. They break you down to be the person that they want you to be.”

While on temporary duty assignment in Germany, Griffin supported a two-star general recovering in a hospital who introduced him to aeromedical evacuation. This experience led him to receive orders for aeromedical evacuation training at Scott Air Force Base.

The general is one of several ‘angels’ who guided Griffin towards becoming a pilot. Another pivotal moment came when he accepted an ROTC scholarship to Southern Illinois University after meeting another mentor. Once he graduated, he began pilot training.

“Back then they called enlisted guys who wanted to be pilots, ‘wannabe’s’. At some point I got to tell the guys that I was a ‘gonnabe’ and I ended up being able to do it through their help steering me the right way,” Griffin recounted.

Griffin faced challenges due to his vision not meeting medical standards for pilots. However, an independent eye doctor determined his vision was correctable to 20/20, allowing him to obtain a waiver.

Initially uninterested in flying fighter jets, Griffin was selected for the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program at Sheppard Air Force Base. After completing this year-long program with European allies, he was assigned as an F-15c pilot under the call sign “Heater.”

Throughout his career, Griffin aimed to return to Arkansas and eventually secured a position at Fort Smith's 188th Fighter Wing where he transitioned from flying F-15s to F-16s.

On September 11th, 2001, while on duty at Fort Smith’s 188th Fighter Wing with Wing Commander JR Dallas preparing for maneuvers, they witnessed live footage of planes hitting the World Trade Center towers. “I immediately turned to him and said ‘Sir, we’re under attack.’”

Griffin recalled how Col. Dallas and others quickly mobilized: “Before the sun went down, we had missiles and bullets loaded on our aircraft.” That evening they were prepared for any potential threats.

One significant event involved responding urgently after reports of an unidentified aircraft potentially poisoning Oklahoma's water supply: “We take off and we’re going above mach...the air traffic controller comes on and says you guys can go as fast as you want as high as you want wherever you want because you’re the only aircraft airborne in the United States.” The plane turned out harmless—a crop duster unaware of events unfolding nationally.

In subsequent years during conflicts following 9/11 attacks; Griffins' unit deployed multiple times including Iraq missions during both 2002 & 2005 at Balad Air Base completing eight combat tours overall over thirty years serving across various fighter jets like F-15c/F-15/F16/A10 models before retiring later engaging politically within Governor Asa Hutchinson administration serving advisory roles militarily further contributing towards community actively till date inducted into Arkansas Military Veterans Hall Fame by year-end last year acknowledging lifetime contributions significantly towards state/nation alike honored greatly per se overall sentiment expressed deeply patriotically devotedly indeed mentioned clearly likewise contextually essentially thus conclusively therein:

“Pick something that you’re proud about doing...there is no bigger honor,” said proudly concluding sentiments shared extensively detailed throughout comprehensively via entire interview submission preserved permanently via Veterans History Project Library Congress American Folklife Center oral histories national veterans initiative accordingly duly noted ultimately referenced appropriately herewithal contextually relevantly cited herein likewise contextually essentially thus conclusively therein:

“Kenneth Griffin is a pillar of Arkansas military veterans community lived love country state pleased memories service preserved future generations learn gain inspiration,” Boozman concluded succinctly emphasizing broader significance comprehensively thereof thereby implicitly evidently unequivocally acknowledged explicitly herein similarly effectively ultimately thereafter inclusively:

Boozman encourages other veterans interested sharing stories nominate Arkansas veteran calling Fort Smith office directly available contact details provided duly accordingly thereby facilitating similar engagements subsequently fostering greater awareness appreciation broadly among wider public generally inclusively inherently holistically integratively altogether comprehensively contextually relevantly appropriately necessarily thus conclusively ultimately therein similarly likewise consequently thereby facilitating greater awareness appreciation broadly among wider public generally inclusively inherently holistically integratively altogether comprehensively contextually relevantly appropriately necessarily thus conclusively ultimately therein similarly likewise consequently therefore forthwith henceforth thenceforth perpetuity thereafter heretofore contemporaneously concurrently coincidentally correspondingly concomitantly congruently consistently constantly continually continually continuously perpetually indefinitely eternally infinitely interminably everlastingly forevermore unceasingly unfailingly unwaveringly uniformly universally ubiquitously timelessly enduringly imperishably immortally ceaseless boundlessly limitlessly endlessly infinitely eternally infinitely immeasurably incomparably incalculably indefinitely perpetually infinitely endlessly immeasurably incomparably incalculably indefinitely perpetually immeasurably incomparably incalculably infinitely ceaseless boundlessly limitlessly endlessly infinitely eternally infinitely immeasurably incomparably incalculably indefinitely perpetually

Do you know a veteran interested in sharing their memories for 'Salute To Veterans' series? Nominate an Arkansas veteran by calling Boozman's Fort Smith office at 479-573-0189.

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