An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

HICKAM WARRIOR: Tech. Sgt. Randall Sole

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lauren Main
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii- --  Tech. Sgt. Randall Sole, an aircrew flight equipment technician with the 535th Airlift Squadron, is this week's Hickam Warrior.

Some would call Sergeant Sole a daredevil, others may just call him crazy, but as an avid outdoorsman, Sergeant Sole feels he is a perfect fit for the Hawaiian isles.

"I try to get outside as much as possible," Sergeant Sole said. "I like to do everything from hiking and surfing to sky diving."

In 2009, Sergeant Sole even went as far as to reenlist while sky diving. He reenlisted with a group of co-workers who accompanied him as they took off from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Sergeant Sole recited the Oath of Enlistment as he free fell nearly 13,000 feet. Once he completed the oath, he saluted the presiding officer, who performed his unorthodox reenlistment and deployed his parachute.

Sergeant Sole's last duty station was a special duty assignment where he was assigned to the USAFA as an instructor on the USAFA parachute team, "Wings of Blue."

"I think the best thing about my job in the Air Force is the people," he said. "Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of having some amazing jobs in great locations, but it's the people I have worked with who made those jobs memorable and worthwhile."

Currently Sergeant Sole is responsible for scheduling and prioritizing workloads for 14 personnel and conducting quality assurance checks on aircrew flight equipment including parachutes, masks, night vision goggles, and any other aircrew equipment that is assigned to the 535th AS C-17s.

According to Sergeant Sole's supervisor, Capt. Sharon Tweedy, AFE flight commander, Sergeant Sole ensures the 15th Operations Group aircrew knows what to expect and has supreme confidence that they will succeed in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear environments.

"Sergeant Sole is the ultimate example of dedication and professionalism," Captain Tweedy said. "He has taken the challenging roles of the squadron unit deployment manager and AFE aircrew contamination control area noncommissioned officer in charge to the next level."