He grew up collecting Frank Thomas baseball cards. He was a part of the eleven of us that played sandlot baseball, football, and basketball together. We swam in his family’s above-ground pool which was filled annually by his father playfully stealing a fire truck from the local fire department every summer. As a high school running back he broke his ankle Joe Theisman style in a football practice.
Upon graduation he joined the Air Force.
His time was spent learning the craft of an airplane mechanic working on C5s and C17s
His assignments took him to Washington, Hawaii, Spain, Germany, and Japan.
He spent the last five years of his military career as an Inspector General investigating production practices of military aircraft. Conversation naturally took us to the current events at Boeing. He told me that when the door fell off that airplane and the guy’s shoes flew off his feet that there were never bolts on that door. He said the production line may have put them on and took them off to make changes but when the door went on that plane there were no bolts.
He retired at age 40.
In my recent conversation with him I learned that another fellow North Mahaska alum has retired from the Navy and is now learning how to build guns to create his own personal brand. Another is climbing the ranks of the army and perhaps is a colonel by now. He was a high-ranking captain at last check-in but that was 10 years ago.
I finished high school with an approximate enrollment of grades 9-12of about 120 students.
It’s always fun to hear what the neighborhood kids are up to and have accomplished within their career paths.
Back to Rick. We always called him Ricky growing up. He just got back from Oklahoma where he found over 6 pounds of morel mushrooms. If you haven’t had a chance to try those than you should. They are fine cuisine. A redneck delicacy. He laughs when he tells you that he was in the Air Force for over 20 years, but can’t fly an airplane.
His eyes got his biggest saucers in his face lit up like a Christmas tree when I told him that I worked in the government for 10 years in the arena of federal contracting. He indicated that he wished he would’ve learned more about the trade when he was in the military. He told me that contracting was for the smart people and that in his circle my GS level would have categorized me as elite.
I’m in the consulting business now, and he told me that he was only smart enough to do invoicing for me.
Sometime, I’ll tell you about my good friend who has H.R. McMaster as a reference on his résumé.
If you think I can help you then email nicholas.s.robertson@outlook.com for your introductory message and free consultation. 
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