Karina Lucarz

Barry Phelps, West Campus’s familiar building sub, served as a member of the US Air Force.

Barry Phelps

West Campus Substitute Teacher Barry Phelps served in the US Air Force for 8 years. He joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) during his freshman year of college.

Captain Phelps poses with members of the U.S. Air Force in 1971.

When Phelps ended up transferring to University of Iowa during his sophomore year, he was worried they wouldn’t have an ROTC program. Luckily, however, they did.. “In my junior year, we were actually sworn into the Air Force Reserves,” he mentioned. 

This means that Phelps hadn’t served overseas. “I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the [United States Air Force] by order of the President of the United States.” He took his oath on the same day he graduated college and went on active duty a month later. 

Phelps spent 2 months learning a new computer system that was being used throughout Keesler Air Force Base. This assignment got cut off early due to Hurricane Camille in August of 1969. Then he was sent to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan.