Jack Willenberg, MSGT, retired from the Kansas Air National Guard on Nov. 5 after 20 years of service. The ceremony was held at McConnell Air Force base in Wichita. With family and friends with him, he was honored with several service awards.
Jack enlisted in the Kansas Air National Guard on the first day of June, 1991, at the age of 20, joining the then 184th Security Police Flight. Some of his shorter deployments include going to Savannah, Ga., for aircraft security, Atlanta, Ga., for the 1996 Olympic Games security, Honolulu, Hawaii for aircraft security, Alaska for Special Olympics Winter Games security, Louisanna for security assistance after Huricane Katrina and Incirlik, Turkey for Base Security. Jack joined as a traditional guardsman, but has spent several years on Active Duty after September 2001. His deployments after 9/11 were to several different countries in South East Asia where he spent a total of 20 month on four different deployments. While not deployd from 2001 to 2003, Jack worked as Security Flight Chief on the active duty side of McConnell. During Jack’s military career he has been a certified trainer in PPCT defensive tactics and batons, Field Force (riot control), and in All Terrain Vehicle usage. He has also been the assigned National Guard Scout for Barton County for the Military Assistance to Civilian Authority program.
While not deployed, Jack has worked in his civilian life as a Correctons Officer, Deputy Sheriff, carpenter and home improvement installer. Jack is currenty working part time with C & V Home Improvement of Great Bend, and is also operating a new business called CenKan Lead Testing that does Lead Based Paint inspections and assemssments.
Jack was married in February of 2009 to Leann. They live in rural Barton County with Leann’s children Adreinne and Lukas.