Barksdale Profile: Airman Reenlists Hanging 149 Feet in the Air
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Updated: May 20, 2011
From the top of this 149 foot tower you can see for miles.
"The view up there is awesome. I love being able to climb things like that" says Senior Airman John Hines works as a cable maintainer. He is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base.
"I'm a tower certifier. I can go up, train people, rescue people, things like that" he says.
At the very top of this tower is the second highest point on base. The air traffic control tower on base is just one foot higher, making it the tallest point.
"This is the best job in the world, I can't believe my luck that I'm able to do this everyday" says Hines with a smile.
But what he doesn't do everyday--- re-enlist. He committed to serve in the Air Force for the next five years.
Hines took the oath hanging more than 14 stories in the air from the Command Post Communication Tower with Captain Keith Lorenz.
"We had our flag, we had the oath of enlistment and we had an officer those are the three things that you need plus of course the airmen" says Capt. Lorenz. He says this reenlistment was the most unique he's ever done.
"You know, I don't think anybody else is going to get a chance to do it" says Hines.
"It's incumbent on us to ensure that moment is memorable and I'm pretty sure for the rest of Hines' life he'll look back and say 'yeah, doing 149 feet reenlistment was pretty memorable'" says Lorenz.
Hines was the first ever to re-enlist from the tower's top.
"The view up there is awesome. I love being able to climb things like that" says Senior Airman John Hines works as a cable maintainer. He is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base.
"I'm a tower certifier. I can go up, train people, rescue people, things like that" he says.
At the very top of this tower is the second highest point on base. The air traffic control tower on base is just one foot higher, making it the tallest point.
"This is the best job in the world, I can't believe my luck that I'm able to do this everyday" says Hines with a smile.
But what he doesn't do everyday--- re-enlist. He committed to serve in the Air Force for the next five years.
Hines took the oath hanging more than 14 stories in the air from the Command Post Communication Tower with Captain Keith Lorenz.
"We had our flag, we had the oath of enlistment and we had an officer those are the three things that you need plus of course the airmen" says Capt. Lorenz. He says this reenlistment was the most unique he's ever done.
"You know, I don't think anybody else is going to get a chance to do it" says Hines.
"It's incumbent on us to ensure that moment is memorable and I'm pretty sure for the rest of Hines' life he'll look back and say 'yeah, doing 149 feet reenlistment was pretty memorable'" says Lorenz.
Hines was the first ever to re-enlist from the tower's top.
