Former Air Force Gen. Dave Goldfein finds new challenges in retirement.
young Goldfein “didn’t have a burning desire” to serve in the military, and the offer would scuttle his plans to attend the University of Wyoming, study forestry and work on music. After a conversation with his dad, Goldfein called back to accept the offer.Two years into the Academy and struggling with grades and military life, “we made this mutual decision that I needed to go get my act together,” he said.
A program called “Stop Out” let him spend a year away from school with the option to return. Goldfein was set to become a roadie for Harry Chapin, but the singer-songwriter died in a car accident before they met. The tragedy led Goldfein to ride across the country on his 10-speed bike. The journey “allowed me to get to know America from the back roads in a way that I didn’t know growing up, because I’d been a military brat, living overseas, most of my life. And so, I didn’t really know the America I was swearing to defend.”Somewhere in middle America, Goldfein found what he was looking for and concluded “this country is worth defending.”
“I left for a year then I came back, and I embraced what the Academy stood for and this mission that I was going to be a part of.”As chief of staff, he focused on helping the service improve its joint war fighting capabilities, revitalize squadrons, increase diversity and bolster innovation. “We moved the ball down the field, but there's no way we got in the end zone,” he said. “We probably moved it 20 or 30 yards, which for an organization the size United States Air Force is pretty good.”After decades of serving the nation, Goldfein’s mission continues. Solving “meaningful problems with people I really like,” is how he explains his current work.
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