42nd CONS supervisor retires after more than 47 years

Charlie Foster, chief of Acquisition Flight B, 42nd Contracting Squadron, is retiring Dec. 31 after more than 47 years of Federal service. After an initial brief stint in the Navy, Mr. Foster served 40 years in contracting.(Air Force Photo by Carl Bergquist)

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42nd CONS supervisor retires after more than 47 years

Published Dec. 4, 2009
By Carl Bergquist
Air University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- With 47 years of government service, Charlie Foster, 42nd Contracting Squadron's chief of Acquisition Flight B, is in some ways reluctant to retire from his job at 42nd CONS Dec. 31.

"After 47 years, 40 in contracting, I know I'll miss it. I'm a 'people person,' so I will miss the personnel and the daily problem solving the most," he said. "But there are a lot of people who need to move up, and for them to do that, I need to move out."

Mr. Foster said he has spent much of the last year training people to take his place and foresees a smooth transition upon his departure. At age 73, he has no regrets about his decision to join the ranks of civilian government employees. He said working for the government has helped him tremendously, and he hopes he has helped others over the years.

"I have enjoyed my years of service and still enjoy it," he said. "Touching people's lives over those years has been satisfying for me, as I think it has helped their careers. One gal I trained is now a GS-15 in Atlanta, and three others became the 'contracting gurus' at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. Today, there are people all over the country I have trained, and I'm glad to have been able to be a training ground for so many people."

Mr. Foster said he began his government service in 1955 with a three-year, nine-month tour in the U.S. Navy. In 1959 he returned to his home town of Wetumpka, Ala., to work briefly in the construction industry. He said when he started working for the government, he had only a General Equivalency Diploma, or GED, because he joined the Navy while still a senior in high school. As a civilian employee, he was first involved in food services then civil engineering before moving to contracting.

"I went through a 24-month general accounting course, and that allowed me to qualify as a clerk-typist. So I moved from a Wage Board-6 level to a General Service-3 level," Mr. Foster said. "I went to night school to earn my bachelor of science degree in 1977 and my master's degree in personnel management in 1979."

He said he had always wanted to work for the government because of the opportunities, benefits and retirement program, so when the opportunity came, he was quick to take it.

"When I look at it from the standpoint of starting as a WB-2 and rising to a GS-13, it was, 'the sky's the limit.' I am a rags to riches story," he said. Mr. Foster said he has seen many changes during his time in government service. One example is some of the equipment used by government employees to do their jobs.

"We went from manual typewriters to electric typewriter to IBM Selectric typewriters to computers," he said. "Today, we have a contracting system that is all computerized, and we can do most of our work online."

During his time at 42nd CONS, Mr. Foster has been involved in numerous projects. He is responsible for the purchase and administration of 64 major service contracts; 320 Civil Air Patrol rental contracts; and 323 educational services agreement valued at more than $90 million annually. Additionally, Mr. Foster implemented the Small Disadvantaged Business Program at Maxwell AFB, and his program stands as a benchmark for Air Education and Training Command. One AETC contractor involved with the program testified about its success before Congress. He was also the first person in contracting at Maxwell to receive an excellent rating from an Operational Readiness Inspection.

Mr. Foster said he doesn't have any specific plans for his retirement, but he does have "relatives all over the United States," and he and his wife Hannah want to visit some of them. He has a daughter in Montana, relatives in Las Vegas and his son, a retired 24-year Air Force veteran, lives in Omaha, Neb.

"I have four daughters, and a son. In addition to my daughter in Montana, two others live here in Montgomery and a third lives in Pensacola, Fla.," he said. "We are an Air Force family with my son retired from the service and three of my son-in-laws serving with the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field."

Mr. Foster said one thing that will not change as a result of his retirement is his work with his church. He currently is the Sunday school superintendent and chairman of the Board of Directors for his church; president of the Sunday school and Bible training union for 22 churches; and he ministers to individuals who are confined to home or nursing homes.