AFHRA employee retires after more than 50 years of service

After almost 52 years of government service, 37 of them at the Air Force Historical Research Agency, Helen Weaver will retire Oct. 2. Ms. Weaver said travel is definitely going to be a part of her life after retirement. (U.S. Air Force photo/Melanie Rodgers Cox)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

AFHRA employee retires after more than 50 years of service

Published Sept. 28, 2009
By Carl Bergquist
Air University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Fresh out of high school, Helen Weaver joined the ranks of the Montgomery Veteran's Administration in September 1957, and has been a government employee ever since.

She began her career as a clerk/typist at the VA and was looking forward to a career in government service.

"Even before I got out of high school I wanted to go into civil service," she said. "I had a teacher who used to talk a lot about civil service, and I guess that's what got me interested in it."

Ms. Weaver said originally she hadn't planned on working in the government for more than 20 years, but the years went by, and here she is almost 52 years later about to retire.

"I guess early on I thought I had a rich relative who was going to die and leave me a lot of money, but I never found that rich relative," she joked.

Ms. Weaver said she has enjoyed all the years, especially the ones at Air Force Historical Research Agency, and her job has been "very rewarding." She said her current job involves recording the lineage of the Air Force and keeping up with all Air Force units around the world. That requires her monitoring the units and watching for such things as changes in unit operations, re-designations, moves to new locations or name changes.

"I have kept a record card on each unit of the Air Force. We now also have the information on computers, but I still maintain the cards," she said. "I think I will probably miss the job, at least at first, but I'm willing to come back from time to time to help the new person if that is needed."

Ms. Weaver stayed at the Veteran's Administration until 1960 when she moved to Maxwell Air Force Base in the flight scheduling section. That job required her to set up flying times for all students attending Air University schools.

"I remember when I was doing the flight scheduling, Col. Chuck Yeager was a student at Air War College," she said. "I got to meet him, and that was exciting."

Ms. Weaver married in November 1963, and her husband was soon transferred to Wiesbaden, Germany. She continued her government service at Headquarters, U.S. Air Forces Europe at that base. They returned to the U.S. in 1967, and Ms. Weaver went to work at the Navy's Fleet Training Center in Norfolk, Va.

"That was an interesting job that dealt with everything about the Navy," she said. "A memorable moment for me occurred during that time. I got to attend the christening of the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy. Jackie Kennedy was there, and I think several other Kennedys, but the problem was I was so far away; I really couldn't see them. It was still fun though."

Ms. Weaver returned to Maxwell-Gunter in November 1971 and has spent the rest of her general service career here. She said when she arrived in 1971 there was a "big freeze" on GS employees, so it took about five months to get a job at Maxwell's Transportation Office in March 1972. She said her job at AFHRA came in Sept. 1972, and she was promoted to her current position in 1978.

Ms. Weaver's retirement ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 2 at AFHRA, with a dinner to follow that evening. She said her immediate plan after retiring is to travel.

"I don't have any specific places in mind as yet," she said. "But, I have a friend in Birmingham, and we have talked about traveling. It is something I definitely want to do, at least at first."