Fred Cowles Is June Veteran Of The Month

Written by Fred CowelsFrederick L. Cowles was honored as Jefferson County’s Veteran of the Month on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. He was also presented with a Quilt of Valor and a patriotic wall hanging by Marley Rosener.Fred Cowles joined the U.S Air Force at age 18, upon graduating high school in Odessa, Texas. His six-week basic training was at Lackland Air Force Base (AFB) in Texas. From there, he spent six months in electronics training in Mississippi. His first full time assignment was to the Strategic Air Command at K.I. Sawyer AFB in the upper peninsula of Michigan where he performed electronic maintenance of B-52 bomber and KC-135 tanker aircraft. Cowles was chosen for an officer commissioning program and spent the next three years earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering at Texas Tech University. After completing Officer Training School, Cowles was commissioned as a second lieutenant. His first assignment as an officer was as a Technical Intelligence Engineer. The duties were to provide an assessment of threats to U.S. weapon and defense systems from Soviet missiles and aircraft. A second assignment had him investigating technology to detect Soviet stealth aircraft. During this time, he was promoted to first lieutenant and then to captain. He also earned a Master in Business Administration. Cowles’ next assignment was to a classified location as a test manager for electronic systems on SR-71 and TR-1 aircraft. After this, he spent three years at the AF Operational Test Center (AFOTEC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico as a test manager for satellite systems that would detect ballistic missile launches. The testing involved firing a target missile from an island in the Pacific Ocean and detecting it with a high orbit satellite. A second assignment here was test director for mobile emergency command centers. These centers, made up of a fleet over twenty modified semi-trucks would allow top military leaders to conduct operations in a post nuclear environment. Also at AFOTEC, Cowles was involved with re-writing Air Force policy on operational testing of space systems. Captain Cowles was released from active duty in 1995. Remaining in Albuquerque, he became the manager for an Aerospace defense contractor where he served eight years. One of the projects he managed was the development of software to test the National Missile Defense System. During this time, he was also an active member of the AF Reserves, achieving the rank of Major. He was licensed as a real estate agent in 2003 and sold real estate for about three years. He was hired as the Director of Configuration Management by Eclipse Aviation. In this role, he managed the process of making engineering changes to a developmental fleet of private jet airplanes. In 2013, Cowles semi-retired and he moved to Endicott, with his partner Cindy. After a total loss from a house fire in 2016, they moved to Fairbury where Cowles worked full time at Wal-Mart as Electronics Department Manager until 2020 when he retired full-time. He continues to reside in Fairbury.While in service, Major Cowles was awarded: AF Meritorious Service Medal w/1 device, AF Achievement Medal w/2 devices, AF Commendation Medal w/2 devices, AF Training Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, AF Longevity Service Medal w/ 3 devices, AF Good Conduct Medal w/1 device, AF Outstanding Unit Award, and AF Organizational Excellence Award.

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