Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Roberta Dean will be the special speaker at a Flag Day event hosted by Fairfield Glade Community Church June 14.
Dean spent her early life in the Astoria, OR, area. She was one of six siblings, and her family had strong military connections. One uncle served in World War II and another in Korea. Two brothers served in the U.S. Army.
She says she learned to salute the flag from her “Uncle Bob” and she often attended parades honoring veterans. She never tired of the stories they would share with her.
Dean was interested in attending college, but could not afford it. Instead, she took a course when she was able to.
Her family encouraged her to enlist in the Air Force after high school. She graduated from basic training and set her goal to be a pilot and eventually fly. The first step was to become a flight engineer, she decided.
Dean was later accepted into the officer candidate program and earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Arizona. Upon graduation, she was commissioned as a first lieutenant and assigned to Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas where she completed flight training.
Dean’s career included flying F-16 fighter jets and helicopter flight training. She was promoted to a major and then to colonel. She flew more than a dozen missions during Operation Desert Storm, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan that remain classified today.
She was commander of a detachment of Pave Hawk helicopters and, in 2004, was seriously injured when her aircraft took on enemy fire.
Dean retired with 30 years of service.
Dean believes veterans have a special bond as they served their country with loyalty, discipline and skill. She continues to serve by talking to veterans about services available from the Veterans Administration, referring them to the Cumberland County Veterans Service Office and to the VA for medical care.
“Nothing in this country is free,” Dean offered as a message for youth. She stressed the importance of giving back to the nation and standing up for freedom.
The American Flag, with its “new constellation” of 50 stars on a field of blue and alternating stripes of red and white is a symbol of freedom central to Dean’s life. She is proud to say that every encounter with the flag inspires a salute. She may be seen pausing in the Food City parking lot, raising her hand in a military salute and then passing under the American Flag as it waves above people going about their day.
The Flag Day event at Fairfield Glade Community Church, 521 Snead Dr., is set for 2:30-4 p.m. Those planning to attend are asked to bring lawn chairs. In the event of inclement weather, the event will move indoors to the sanctuary.
A free old-fashioned ice cream social will follow.