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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Linda M. Turner

1981- 82: Entered Air Force as Airman Kaplan; Avionics Component Specialist.
1982- 83: Airman First Class Kaplan; Avionics Component Specialist; Participated in an aircraft deployment exercise, Maple Flag. His problem Isolation techniques contributed to the over 80% mission effectiveness.
1983- 84: Airman First Class Kaplan; Avionics System Repairmen. Selected *84 Bomb-Navigation Competition
1984- 85: Sr. Airman Kaplan; Avionics Systems Repairman; Awarded Air Force Achievement Medal and Professional Performer during Operational Readiness Inspection. SrA Kaplan went to Warner-Robins AFB, Georgia to recover aircraft 68-00161, that was diverted to the base for air data computer system failures.
1985- 66: Sgt Kaplan; Automatic Right Control Instrument Specialist. During weapons training deployment to Incirlik AB, Turkey, he was responsible for aircraft launch and recovery.
1986- 87: Sent to Ramstein AB, Germany to recover aircraft 8065, he fixed problems within two hours.
1987- 68: Staff Sgt. Kaplan; F-111 Integrated Avionics Flight Control Tech; His maintenance performance on supporting the F-111 flight control system has assured on time mission In support of the B-1B test program.
1988- 89: Selected to attend F-111 Digital Flight Control System Factory School at General Dynamics Corp.
1989- 90: Maintains chase fleet aircraft in support of the B-1B bomber flight test program.
1990- 91: F/FB-111 Avionic Systems Technician; He extinguished a fire in aircraft 68-043 engine bay during "red ball" maintenance and returned the aircraft to mission capable status in less than four hours.
1992- 93: Selected Squadron Maintenance NCO of Year for 1992.
1993- 94: Technical Sergeant Kaplan; Participated in exercise DYNAMIC GUARD at Incirlik AB Turkey, Sep-Oct '93. His superb leadership abilities enabled the successful generation of 97 combat sorties.
1994- 95: Specialist Section shift Supervisor; Supervises 24 personnel in support of 24 F-111E aircraft. First Technical Sergeant to be certified as a Quality Assessor for maintenance quality improvement program.
1995- 96: Changed Career Fields to: NCO in charge. Visual Information Graphics; Barksdale AFB, La; Contributed to 2nd Comm. Squadron winning the 1998 Air Combat Command Maintenance Effectiveness Award.
1996- 97: Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) Base Graphics; Responsible for overall success of video imaging system upgrades made in support of exercise BLUE FLAG 96-4.
1997- 98: AF Museum volunteer--contributed over 300 hours to rebuild FB-111A crew module.
1999- 2000: Base Visual Information Manager; Maintain $500,000 visual equipment, $65,000 operating budget
2000- 01; Winner of 31 Fighter Wing & US Air Forces Europe 2000 Comm. & Info. Professional of the Year
2001- 02: Oversaw documentation of Barksdale's four Operations Iraqi Freedom homecoming celebrations.
2002- 03: Orchestrated visual Information support of NASA Space Shuttle Columbia recovery effort.
2003- 04: Base Multimedia Manager; Selected 2nd Bomb Wing Multimedia 2003 Manager of the Year. 2005: Barksdale AFB Multimedia Manager of the Year 2005!!!!!
June 29, 2006: Official honorable retirement from the US Air Force after 25 years of service.