Veterans Parade Grand Marshall Named

By Tim Grimes, Veterans Parade Committee

 

Roberta Dean, United States Air Force, Colonel, Retired, has been selected as the 2022 Veterans Day Parade Grand Marshall.

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Colonel Dean grew up in Oregon surrounded by family and friends with military backgrounds.  This military influence prompted Roberta to enlist in the United States Air Force in late 1975.  Roberta completed Basic Training and her career with the Air Force began.  She became a helicopter flight engineer and soon applied to and was accepted into the Officer Candidate School Program.

Off to college Roberta went with Uncle Sam paying the way.  She studied hard, made good grades, and graduated with her bachelor’s degree.  Although the USAF footed the bill for her education, Roberta’s degree did not come without a personal price.  In exchange for a world class education, Roberta agreed to give the United States Air Force at least ten years of dedicated service.  Because of her prior enlisted service, Roberta was promoted to First Lieutenant upon graduation from OCS.

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Being an adventurous soul and being that she WAS in the Air Force, it was only logical that Roberta learn to fly.  Flight training was accomplished at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.  It was here that Roberta was introduced to the Air Force T-37 jet training aircraft.  Roberta loved that aircraft; it was quick, it was nimble, and it got the adrenaline pumping.  Once she mastered flying the T-37, she was given the opportunity to train in the T-38.  WOW!!!  What a difference!!  Imagine stepping out of a Ford Model “A” and into a Rolls-Royce “Silver Ghost”.  Roberta found a new love; not just in the aircraft she was flying, but the art of flying period.

With flight training completed, it was off to Hill Air Force Base in Utah and a squadron of F-16 Fighter jets.  When you have a “need for speed”, the F-16 certainly fills the bill.  Roberta was promoted to Major during her time as a F-16 pilot and it appeared to her that she would retire at that rank.  To Roberta, this would just not do.  A change in career path was in order, so Roberta decided to cross-train to helicopters.

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Helicopters may not have the speed that jet aircraft have, but that doesn’t mean that they are not just as much fun to fly.  Major Dean learned to fly the UH-1N Huey helicopter, the USAF MH-53, and then the HH-60.  The HH-60 is well known as the “Black Hawk” helicopter, but the Air Force designation is referred to as the “Pave Hawk”.

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Major Dean flew missions during Operation Desert Storm, made deployments to Iraq, and numerous deployments to Afghanistan.  Some operations that Major Dean flew are still classified.  Roberta was eventually promoted to full Colonel and assumed command of a detachment of Pave Hawk helicopters.  Colonel Dean was injured during a helicopter crash in Afghanistan and spent the rest of her career having to “fly” a desk.  Colonel Dean retired from the United States Air Force in 2005 after nearly thirty years of honorable, dedicated service to her Country.

After retirement, Colonel Dean worked for several years in Arizona flying drug interdiction missions.  Roberta has traveled extensively to numerous countries throughout the world and crisscrossed the United States.  She now calls Crossville home and couldn’t be happier.

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Colonel Dean remains active in the community and with Veteran Groups.  She enjoys talking with youth groups and relaying her experiences in the Air Force.  As their newly elected president, in what little spare time she has, she can be found talking with anyone who will listen at the Model Railroad Exhibit located at the Crossville Outlet Mall.  Stop in and say “hello”.  You will be glad that you did.