Mike Foley...what can I say?  He was one of the most liked and respected people, MK or not, I ever met. I first met Mike about 1990 when he arrived Offutt AFB. The first thing one noticed about Mike was his easy going
manner and his SMILE!  I don't ever recall Mike not having a smile on his face.  Whether in the middle of a 4 hour delay for a flight or our "700th Crash and Dash" for the day doing touch-and-goes at Offutt as "Prisoners of SAC", it was there. 

He always had a way to put people around him at ease and always seemed to be committed to that task ...putting self aside.  I got a bit of Biographical info from a very good friend of Mikes, Luis Figueroa, and will
send it as it was written.  But, before I do that, I recall something a friend once told me, "Remember, leave this a better world by your having lived in it and live your life so that people you meet are better off for having known
you...".  I truly believe this is the way Mike Foley lived his life....and I, for one, am a better person having had the pleasure of knowing him and calling him my friend.

In the words of Luis Figueroa:
I first met Mike while we both were trying to become "MK's" at Goodfellow back in 1989.  Mike was a former 202 instructor at Goodfellow who realized he could better serve by using his God given talent for the Spanish language. 

As a kid, Mike lived in Peru for a few years while his dad
worked as a mechanical engineer for some U.S. mining company. That's how he got his solid foundation for the language.  While at Goodfellow, he was in the class ahead of mine along with, then, SSgt Lones Seiber who was one of Mike's best friends.  Mike graduated from Goodfellow late that summer and, if not mistaken, was the honor grad for his class. 

He then went to Offutt to the 6949th were he rapidly qualified and became one of the few, non-native,
"gunners."  One of our first of many TDY's together was to Puerto Rico supporting JTF-B counter-drug operations flying missions out of Roosevelt Roads during the early summer of 1990. 

Later that year we (Al Gonzales, Hank Doby, Ron Ramsey, Al Rosario, Carlos Planas, and Phil Angelo) went to Panamá and augmented the 6933rd were we all checked-out on the Scout and flew several missions under the watchful eyes of Mike Garrido and Eddie Perez.  Mike never drank so he was always our "father-figure" and the guy who kept most of us out of trouble. 

Mike's family and mine became very close from this point on until his passing away.  Returning to Offutt, Mike
was the assistant flight Sup. for one of the flights (can't remember which) but I believe he worked for Ken Simmons. 

Mike ran the "Jungle" snack bar that made so much cash that he organized a free steak dinner party for all the ops. personnel.  It was held at the base lake campgrounds and Mark Adams was the cook and helped him organize the entire affair.

Mike PCS'd to Panamá late in 1991 and by the time I PCS'd there in March of '92 he was already mission qual. on the Scout and ACIS qualified. He went on to become a Scout AMS and the Ops. Flight Commander.  He
performed first sergeant duties several times while still a tech. sergeant (MSgt Sel.), testament to his leadership and the trust his superiors vested on him.  August '94 Mike and his family moved back to the states and his
native Arizona.

At the same Mike PCS'd to D-M and Compass Call, I retrained and also ended up here at D-M.  Mike's family and I left Panamá together, as I was to join them after tech. school.  By the time I arrived back to Tucson in
December '94 Mike was already qualified in the CALL and everything seemed normal until that fatal night in March of '95.

I was deployed to Aiano, Italy when the tragedy tool place.  Alicia, my spouse, had the unenviable task of notifying me.  She, too, was very close to Mike and can't even imagine how sad she must have felt.  I was truly
grateful to be part of the Air Force back then.  I was immediately sent home on emergency status and arrived three days later.  No questions asked.  I was made available for as long as I was needed to help in anything. 

During burial ceremonies, I was overwhelmed by the turnout of friends from all over the country to pay final tribute to our fallen comrade.  I still believe no other organization in the world would have done so much to bring its people together to help cope with the loss as the Air Force (and AIA) did back in March of '95.  For that I will always be grateful, and proud, of have been part of such an organization.