RETIRING — Local graduate Toby Brallier retired in December after more than 21 years of active service in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard. (Submitted photo)
Lieutenant Colonel Toby Brallier retired in December 2014 after more than 21 years of Active Service in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard. A 1989 graduate of New Richland-Hartland High School, Brallier is the son of Alan Brallier and Connie Brallier (and grandson of Gladys Brallier).
His service record:
• June 1989 Enlisted as Structural Specialist
• Attended U.S. Air Force Academy 1991-1995 (USAFA)
• Distinguished Graduate
• B.S. Aeronautical Engineering
• M.A.S. from Embry Riddle University
• Attended Undergraduate Pilot Training upon completion of USAFA.
• Primary operational aircraft: F-16 Fighting Falcon, MQ-1 Predator (unmanned aerial vehicle), C-21 Learjet, A-10 Thunderbolt II
• One year oversees short tour in Korea
• Six Combat Deployments in support of four Combat Operations include:
• Operation Southern Watch (Iraq), Operation Northern Watch (Iraq)
• Operation Allied Force (Kosovo), Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)
• 122 Combat Missions Flown
• Over 498 Combat Flight Hours
“I’ve appreciated the opportunity to serve and defend the Constitution of the United States,” said Braillier. “We have freedoms here still unheard of in many places around the world. I’m thankful for the support and prayers of family and friends through the years, especially during deployments. I couldn’t have done it without you. It was enjoyable to come back and visit the hometown schools and impart my experiences with the kids, watch the looks on their faces, and answer their good (and occasionally humorous) questions. Thanks to the schools for allowing me the fun opportunity. I’d like to thank all the teachers that influenced my life and took the time dedicated to education. I definitely wish I had remembered a lot more, especially in history as I’m seeing how much foresight our founding fathers had in creating the foundational laws of this nation. I remember wanting to fly at a young age. The only dream I didn’t get the opportunity to achieve was going into outer space, but you never know! It’s time for a new chapter in life to see what adventures God puts before me, and the trials He may pull me through again. In the near term, I’ll be flying a civilian contract job at an air base in Florida for a couple of years, then looking at opportunities to get back to the homeland in the Midwest. Don’t take for granted the freedoms we still have.”
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” — Abrahan Lincoln