142nd Fighter Wing Warrior Spotlight

Meet our history detectives. Military retirement has not slowed down Lt. Col. Terrance Popravak Jr. and Chief Master Sgt. Gene Thomas. Over the last several years, they have been volunteering as historians in the Public Affairs office. They work many hours each month to build and maintain the history of the Oregon Air National Guard. They conduct research on a variety of issues, turning their work into written stories, digging through photographic records and other achieves, and contributing to the Public Affairs mission for the 142nd Fighter Wing and the Oregon Air Guard story. After retiring from active duty with the United States Air Force, Popravak moved to Vancouver, Wash., and soon brought his passion for aviation history to the Oregon Air National Guard in 2010. He served for 24 years as an operational intelligence officer, which including duty in fighter wings at Misawa, Hill and Mountain Home Air Force Bases. Chief Thomas of Sandy, Ore., served in the Oregon Air National Guard for more than 37 years and retired in 1986. He served in the 142nd as an aircraft maintenance technician and in the aircraft instrument shop, and later was the QA supervisor. He was the Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron first sergeant for the 142nd and was selected as the state Airman of the Year for 1969. He also served a stint as a full-time recruiter from 1973 to 1977. Their stories have been featured on the 142nd Fighter Wing website, in the Oregon Sentinel newsletter and other publications. Popravak author the book “The Oregon Air National Guard,” which was published by Arcadia Publishing in 2012.