Father, son deploy together, play together

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Stephen Bailey
  • 301st Fighter Wing
Fort Worth, TEXAS --  Years ago, the concept found on the hit television show, entitled the same, was that Father Knows Best. Even though time has past from that generation, the lesson has not been lost. Just ask Staff Sgt. Dennis Walter, Jr., who values his father's wisdom and guidance so much that he has followed his dad's steps throughout his military career. 

Though both have seen their careers progress from the active duty maintenance career field to the Reserve, it wasn't until they were stationed together at the 301st Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base Carswell Field, Texas, that they began to truly appreciate each other. 

"My dad is a great guy and a hard-working example of a true maintenance person," said Sergeant Walter, Jr. "He has always been there to lead by example rather than say do this, or do that. I just followed his career and good things have continued to come my way!" 

Senior Master Sgt. Dennis J. Walter, who left the 301st recently to work as the Quality Assurance Superintendent, maintenance operations for the F-22A Raptor at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, remarked how he has enjoyed his career so far and continues to expect the best from himself and from those who work with him. 

A true maintenance guru, the elder Walter started his road in the military in 1978. He has experienced everything from crew chief work to leading maintenance inspections, to becoming a flight chief and then serving as maintenance production superintendent for the 301st FW - a career so far he describes as one, spanning 30 years, was filled with deployments and many challenges. 

It was though working at the 301st that the younger Walter would get to see, first-hand, his dad make things happen and to experience even a little of it though it was behind the scenes most of the time. 

"My dad was stationed at Carswell in 1998 when I was a high school sophomore. He'd always tell such exciting stories about the places he had been and about the planes and the work being done; and then I'd meet many of the people he worked with. Everyone seemed to treat each other with such respect, sort of like a family - brothers and sisters or even sometimes like a frat house. Either way, I knew right then I wanted to follow in his footsteps in aircraft maintenance - it was a career I knew made him happy," Sergeant Walter, Jr., said. 

It wasn't easy sometimes being the son of the great 'pro super' he describes. Many times the younger Walter would receive a little ribbing that his dad was the 'big man on the flight line'. 

"Normally, I treated it as clean family fun knowing that I never got any special treatment from my dad. In fact, he was harder on me than anyone else - I guess I should have expected that," he said jokingly. 

While working together at Carswell, they would come in contact with each other at certain times but normally the younger Walter worked in the maintenance back shop.
"Dad was responsible for the maintenance and scheduling of 27 F-16 aircraft that was assigned. When he spoke, people moved, even me," he said respectfully. 

Currently, the younger Walter works as a Weapons System Tech as an Air Reserve Technician at Carswell. The position didn't come easy he describes. Coming into the Reserve, he spent a few years working mandays before getting the chance at the ART position. 

In April 2007, the two Walters got the chance to deploy to Balad Air Base, Iraq. Although unusual first for a father and son to be in the same military unit at the same time, it was also unusual to be deployed together. 

"I knew this would be both exciting and challenging," the younger Walter said.
For most, deployment work is never easy, for those there and to the families left behind. Normally, the time is balanced between 12-hour days of work, with the rest of day divided between eating, exercising and sleeping. 

"I've never been so hot before in my life but I knew the work was important, so I was glad to do my part alongside my dad. We'd bump into each other occasionally on the flight line, but always took time each day to eat together." 

Describing themselves as outdoor people, they share lots of interests such as camping and hiking, hunting and fishing, and lots of other outdoor activities. Their true enjoyment, however, is sports, especially football -- New England Patriots football to be exact, though they'd rather not discuss their team's disastrous loss in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants. 

Overall, father and son feel they have both had great success with their careers thus far and are looking forward to their respective futures. Denny, Jr., as he is called by his dad, will soon finish his mechanical engineering degree at Texas A&M and then apply for an officer's commission. The elder Walter has his sights set on making chief master sergeant and then continues to groom and influence the future military generation that comes after him. 

"My dad has been a quiet but strong influence in my life. I owe him a lot, though he has said very little, but has solely relied on his good example and strong work ethic to do his talking. 

"A man of very few words but in all he showed that fathers do know best - at least I see it that way."