Retired Air Force veteran reflects on years of service, community leadership [Video]

TAMPA, Fla. – A retired Air Force veteran was inspired to join the service after his father’s leading example in World War 2.

“I grew up watching my dad, a World War Two medic,” said Jim Salgado. “And for me, service seemed to be the thing to do.”

But Salgado’s personal career started in Pisa, Italy, after he completed training camp in the early eighties. His next assignment brought him back to the States, to Georgia, at Robins Air Force Base. There, he worked on mobile power.

“If you can recall, looking on the interstate, sometimes you’ll see a convoy of very large green vehicles with boxes – they’re towing and everything,” Salgado said. “Well, those are communications people, and they would tow the generators on the back of them.I got the training and drive those things, so it was a lot of fun,” he said.

After returning to MacDill Air Force Base, he …