USAF ROTORHEAD Members

During my career I flew UH-1H’s, CH-3E’s and HH-3E’s

Aug-93 – Dec-97, PCA Sacramento Air Logistics Center AFMC McClellan AFB CA.

Jul-93 – Aug-93, PCA Det 3, Air Combat Command ACC McClellan AFB CA.

Feb-93 – Jul-93, PCA Headquarters, Air Rescue Service ACC McClellan AFB CA.

Jun-92 – Jan-93, PCA Headquarters, Air Rescue Service AMC McClellan AFB CA.

Mar-90 – May-92, PCS Headquarters, Air Rescue Service MAC McClellan AFB CA.

May-89 – Feb-90, PCA 71st Rescue Squadron MAC Elmendorf AFB AK.

Aug-88 – May-89, PCS 71st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron MAC Elmendorf AFB, AK.

Mar-88 – Aug-88, PCA 39th Special Operations Wing MAC Eglin AFB, FL.

Jul-84 – Mar-88, PCS 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing MAC Eglin AFB, FL.

Jun-81 – Jul-84, PCS OL MAIG, HQ Military Airlift Command MAC Scott, AFB, IL.

Aug-80 – Jun-81, PCS Air Command and Staff College ATC Maxwell AFB, AL.

Mar-77 – Aug-80, PCS 71st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron MAC Elmendorf AFB, AK.

Apr-76 – Nov-76, PCA 3453rd School Squadron ATC Lowry AFB, CO.

Nov-73 – Apr-76, PCS 3428th Student Squadron ATC Lowry AFB, CO.

Jul-72 – Sep-73, PCS 51st Air Base Wing PACAF Osan AB, Korea

Jan-72 – Mar-72, PCA Flying Safety Officer Course MAC “Institute of Aerospace Safety and Management University of Southern California”

Apr-71 – Jul-72, PCS 1st Aerospace Cartographic and Geodetic Squadron MAC Forbes AFB, KS.

Jul-69 – Jan-71, PCS 8th Military Airlift Squadron MAC McChord AFB, WA.

Jan-68 – Mar-69, PCS 3517th Student Squadron ATC Randolph AFB, TX.

Oct-67 – Dec-67, PCS Officer Training School ATC Lackland AFB, TX.

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~ FINAL FLIGHT ~

Keith M. Perry, Colonel, USAF (Retired)

December 19, 1944 – February 28, 2022

Keith, age 77, was born on December 19, 1944 at the Mt. Zion Hospital, San Francisco, California to Genevieve Gomorra Brown (November 20, 1915 – December 6, 1992) and George Floyd Perry (October 12, 1912 – April 11, 1987).  Keith would sign his middle name with the “c” looking like this (  ) to represent his middle name coming from his mother’s father’s (John McAllen Brown II) middle name.  Keith’s parents divorced (he was their only child) when he was approximately four and he and his mother moved to the San Francisco East Bay.  Here his mother met and married Charles Allen Wofford (1912 – 1993).  They first lived at 414 “A” Street, Hayward, CA where Keith attended Burbank Elementary School from kindergarten to the 4th grade.  While living on “A” Street, Genevieve and Charles had a son, Stephen Charles Wofford born on February 24, 1953 (still living).  In 1954, the family moved to 24678 Joyce Street, Hayward, CA.  Here, Keith attended John Muir Elementary School graduating from the 6th grade, on to Winton School for grades 7 and 8, Hayward High School for grade 9 (the school was condemned due to age and having been built on the Hayward Fault), and then to Sunset High School where Keith was a member of the school’s first graduating class – 1962.  Keith attended Oregon State College, Corvallis, OR from 1962 – 1964, Chabot Junior College, Hayward, CA from 1964 – 1965 receiving his A.A. Degree, then finally attending Hayward State College, Hayward, CA (now known as California State College – Hayward) from 1965 – 1967 graduating with a B.S. degree in Biology.

In September 1967, he joined the United States Air Force attending the Officer Training School, Medina Annex, in San Antonio graduating in December 1967 as a 2nd Lieutenant.  In 1968, he reported to Randolph Air Force Base, TX for pilot training graduating in March 1969 with an assignment to the 8th Military Airlift Squadron (8 MAS), McChord AFB, WA as a C-141A pilot.  In route to McChord, he received his C-141A training at Altus, OK.  He was stationed at McChord from July 1969 to January 1971.  While at McCord, he was selected to fly helicopters, with an assignment to the 1st Aerospace Cartographic and Geodetic Squadron (1 ACGS), Forbes AFB, KS to fly H-3 helicopters from April 1971 – July 1972.  Before reporting to Forbes, he received his TH-1H and CH helicopter training at Sheppard AFB, TX.  He was stationed at Forbes from April 1971 to July 1972.  After Forbes, his next assignment was with the 51st Air Base Wing (51 ABW), Osan AB, Korea where he flew H-3 helicopters from July 1972 to September 1973.  At the time of his reassignment from Osan, he was entered into the Air Force Rated Supplement program and was sent to Lowery (November 1973 to November 1976, his squadron designation was changed to the 3453rd Student Squadron.  In March 1977, after receiving HH-3E rescue training at Kirtland AFB, NM, he reported to the 71st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (71 ARRS), August 1988 – May 1989 upgrading to the Squadron’s Chief of Standardization and Evaluation and remained in that position when the Squadron changed to the 71st Rescue Squadron (71 RS) in May 89 until he went to his next assignment, HQ Air Rescue Service (ARS), in March 1990 as the Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations Officer.  In August 1991, Keith became the ARS Vice Commander and as ARS was being deactivated, the Commander of Det 3, Air Combat Command until August 1993 when he was assigned to the Sacramento Air Logistics Center as the Center’s Chief, Quality Air Force Office and remained there until his retirement in December 1997.

Keith retired to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he went to work for the State of New Mexico as a Staff Development Specialist IIIA for the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD), Administrative Services Division, June 1998 to October 1998 then to the TRD’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) as a Planning and Program Development Chief, October 1998 to May 2000 when he was promoted to MVD’s Deputy Director position where he remained until February 2007.  In 2007, Keith accepted a position with the City of Albuquerque’s Transit Department as the Marketing and Planning Division Manager from February 2007 to February 2011.  In February 2011, he accepted a position as the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department, Motor Vehicle Division Director.  In October 2011, Keith decided to retire, leave the work environment, and pursue his long-time goal of building radio control model airplanes.  During his career, Keith included other non-military experiences along with his work.  The following lists these additional experiences.  From August 1991 to August 1994, while stationed at McClellan Air Force Base, he was a part time Quality Instructor at American River College.

Keith was married to:

Kathy Ann Rafferty 1969 – 1977.  No children.

Alice Irene Forba 1977 – 2002.  No children.

Interment will take place at Arlington National Cemetery.  A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Albuquerque.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Manzano Animal Clinic or Animal Humane New Mexico, both located in Albuquerque