Paul K. April

Hometown: Prescott, AZ

PSU Connection: Graduate

PSU Graduation Year: 1961

Degree Type: Bachelors

Major of Study: Aerospace Engineering, L A – General Arts & Sciences

Memorable moment in your Penn State career: ROTC commissioning as a 2nd Lt, in the US Air Force, Dec. 7, 1961, exactly 20 years after Pearl Harbor. Also homecoming parade.

Active Duty or Veteran: Veteran

Branch: Air Force

Rank: Lt Col

Rate/MOS: Engineer & multiple Strategic Nuclear Weapon Systems assignments.

Where/when did you serve: (1962-63) Part of a Strategic Air Command (SAC) Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, (1963-68) Plattsburgh AFB, NY & Davis Monthan AFB, AZ, (1968-69) Tullahoma, TN, (1970) V-Nam veteran: Ubon AB, Thailand, (1971-75) McClellan AFB, CA, (1975-79) Ramstein AB Germany, (1979-82) Pentagon, Washington, DC, (1982-85) Hill AFB, UT

Awards: Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service, Two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, Two Presidential Unit Citations, Penn State Engineering Society (post AF retirement), Lawrence Perez Memorial Student Advocate Award, College of Engineering, Outstanding Student Advising Award

What was your favorite military assignment/duty station and why? NATO Europe, HQ US Air Force European Command (USAFE), Ramstein AB, Germany. The European experience was special for our family. Blanket orders kept me busy and, on the go throughout the command, almost constantly.

Paul April, Air Force, Lt Col (ret), completed an interesting and diverse career, having honorably served 24 years on active duty. Paul traveled extensively through some 42 foreign nations, including Russia (twice), Syria and Iran. He resided for extended periods in Thailand, Germany and Saudi Arabia. Accumulated a wealth of experience in cultural diversity and world affairs and developed a keen insight into military history and operations. Paul credits his Penn State degree for the successful, satisfying and rather unique career he has had. Paul gave back to Penn State, teaching undergraduate and associate degree general engineering courses and running the Student Advising Program as the College of Engineering Dean’s Representative at Penn State Altoona. Later he was hired on with BDM International (now, Northrop-Grumman) as the senior airframe and aircraft systems engineer on a U.S. Government F-15 Foreign Military Sales contract, Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).