402nd AMXG supervisor retires after 42 years Published July 18, 2008 By Holly Birchfield 78 ABW/PA Robins Air Force Base, GA -- Joel Culpepper's love of aircraft drew him to Robins in 1966. Forty-two years later, the Warner Robins native is retiring with fond memories of a career marked by good friends and milestones in aviation history. Mr. Culpepper, an industrial production supervisor in the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group, got his start at Robins through the Aircraft Mechanic Apprenticeship Program. He said a lot has changed since he started his career. "When I hired in, it was $1.91 per hour," he said. "That was top money back then. A journeyman grade mechanic made about $3 an hour. That was a good salary back in those days." Fresh out of high school, Mr. Culpepper worked on C-130s and C-141s, and provided area support for aircraft worldwide. In 1967, Mr. Culpepper joined the Air Force Reserve and served as an aircraft mechanic for 10 years. In 1969, Mr. Culpepper worked in functional testing and some time later he ran tests on C-130 and C-141 engines, checking for leaks, trimming motors and adjusting props. Mr. Culpepper gained knowledge of his trade through Dudley Hughes Vocational School in Macon, Ga., and on-base training at Robins. In his more than four decades of aircraft maintenance, the C-141 has meant the most to Mr. Culpepper. The 60-year-old watched on TV as the last C-141 left Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, a few years ago. It was an emotion-filled time for him. "You think about all the long hours you put in removing and replacing valves and all the hard work you've done and then they go and tear it up in a boneyard. It was just sad," he said. Mr. Culpepper helped organize a C-141 reunion in 2007. On Sept. 27, former C-141 workers will reunite again at the Museum of Aviation. The father of two hopes he has made an impact on Robins people, not just its mission. "When I graduated from high school, my thing was to see something beautiful, say something beautiful and do something beautiful every day of my life and I hope some of that rubbed off on others," he said. Mr. Culpepper's friends have a lot of good memories of him. Joe Barlow, a group production superintendent in the 402nd AMXG who has worked in maintenance with Mr. Culpepper for about 25 years, said his friend is the C-141 go-to guy. "His knowledge is real deep in the maintenance field," he said. "He was raised on C-141s. Of course, C-141s are retired now and I guess Joel is following in behind them." Mr. Culpepper takes his craft personal. James Latimore, Support Flight chief in the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Support Squadron who came to work at Robins two months after Mr. Culpepper's start, said he'll always remember Mr. Culpepper's genuine spirit. Mr. Culpepper started his career in a building 60 yards from his current office in Bldg. 125. The maintenance worker will retire Aug. 2.