Linda’s story begins right after graduating in June 1969 from Goodrich High School in Goodrich, MI. She wanted to continue her education and felt joining the United States Air Force was the motivation and opportunity she was looking for, so Linda enlisted in July 18, 1969. After completing Boot Camp at Lackland AFB, Texas, Linda was sent off to provide support stateside for Vietnam. Her service continued as she provided support in Bosnia while stationed in Germany and support in Seeb, Oman while flying missions in a C-130 Aircraft, while being on alert to keep Russian Migs out of US air space. Further into her service, Linda also supported “Drug Indication” on alert (watching for Drug Cartel shipments) while flying F-4’s and F-16’s out of Howard Air Force base located in Panama, Central America.
Linda made a career while serving our country for 41 years, re-enlisting for many tours. She was stationed at many STATESIDE Air Force bases including Lackland in San Antonio, Texas, Keesler in Biloxi, Mississippi for air traffic controller schooling, Hamilton AFB California in Marion County and Selfridge Air Base in Harrison Township, Michigan were Linda spent the major portion of her Military career. Linda commitment to the USAF also took her OVERSEAS to AF bases located in Ramstien Germany, located in the Rheinland Pfalz region near the city of Kaiserslautern. Howard Panama base located six miles southwest of Balboa, at the southern (Pacific) end of the Panama Canal, were most of the area around it was uninhabited and formed part of the Panama Canal watershed. Also, Seeb, Oman Saudi Arabia where they took military vehicle equipment where it was shipped to “Hot” areas in need. Linda was also stationed at Puerto Rico ANGB which is now the Muñiz Air National Guard Base, home base for the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, located within the grounds of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina near San Juan, Puerto Rico. During Linda’s career in the Military, she earned her highest rank and retired a E-9 Chief Master Sergeant. During her career, Linda was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Reserve Medal, Achievement Medal, Global War Medal on Terrorism Service Medal and Meritorious Service Medal. Linda was honorably discharged July 17, 1973 from the USAF, she then enlisted with the Air National Guard on September 11, 1973, then was honorably discharged on July 1, 2006 from ANG. Then for the following 5 years served with in active reserve until her final discharge on July 1, 2011
What Linda mentioned that she misses most from her time in the Air Force is, the many Friends she made, and the Aircraft she supported. Linda also stated “The biggest thing for me in the Military was all my Brothers and Sisters in the service, we had each other’s back!” One story she’d like to share was, we had a set of twins in the squadron and we were deploying F-4C aircrafts for live fire to Tyndall AFB located in Panama City, Florida. One of the twins was stationed at Selfridge, the other twin stationed at Tyndall. So, when the one twin launched the F-4C from Selfridge he said to the pilot “I will be at Tyndall to park you!” The Pilot laughed and said “there is no way!” So, the one twin called his twin brother and told him to park the aircraft flying in from Selfridge, when he came in, so he did. If you could have seen that pilots face, it was truly a LOL moment!
Linda joined the Port Huron Elks Lodge 343 on Monday, September 11, 2017. Linda was sponsored into our Fraternal Organization by Linda Dane and initiated by Exalted Ruler Steven M. Peters. Linda Lee Bullis - Elk Membership #10849 - Veterans Corner #6