No. 769 Paul Madsen, 2010

File — Box: 73, Folder: 12

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Paul Madsen (b. 1960) was born in Onekama, Michigan and moved around to several different states while he was growing up. Madsen’s father had served in the Navy and from a very young age he remembers being fascinated with mechanics in general. When Madsen was going to high school in Charlotte, North Carolina he applied to all the major military academies hoping to get into the air force academy. Finally Madsen was successful and got admitted to the academy in 1979. He discusses the experiences he had attending the academy and the various challenges he faced while going there. Madsen went to pilot training in Enid, Oklahoma and graduated in 1984. After graduation, he was stationed at Tucson, Arizona at Davis Monthan Air Base with the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squad. Madsen describes his early years as a pilot and the combat training he received. In 1989 Madsen switched to the reserves at Hill Air force base in Utah and began working at Southwest Airlines. Eventually he became the assistant officer of the 466th Fighter Squadron. On September 11, 2001 Madsen felt great that he was in a position to do something to help fight terrorism. Soon after the terrorist attacks Madsen was stationed at Ahmed Al Jaber in Kuwait flying sorties into Afghanistan. Madsen explains the dynamics of the sorties he flew and the complex technology he used when attacking targets that were mostly set up by CIA guys. He felt that his cause was very noble and felt very satisfied by his work in Afghanistan. Madsen was also stationed in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Initially his job was to target SCUD missiles, but later his unit also would be support for soldiers on the ground. Madsen explains his happiness upon seeing his son coming home from Iraq and his unsettling feelings that he was not allowed to blow up as much as he should have in Iraq. In 2007 Madsen was sent back to Iraq and was given a chance to see General Patreas’s strategy in motion. In conclusion Madsen explains his opinion of the Air Force and the funding it receives today.
Project: Iraq and Afghanistan oral history project.
Interviewer: John C. Worsencroft

Dates

2010

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.