State troopers assist more than 1,000 motorists this Fourth of July weekend
6 July 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Stationed around the world, from England to Germany to Guam, Californian turned Kansan Philip Freed followed in the footsteps of his father, serving in the Air Force.
A member of Security Police and Operation Maintenance during his four years in the military, Philip still remembers his introduction to pulling B-52 strategic bomber planes.
“It was pretty nerve wrecking,” Freed said. “I was sitting behind the driver. He only had 1 day to train me, he trained me in one day and then he says okay it’s up to you now. So there I was the first time backing the plane in and of course I went real slow because I didn’t want to mess up.”
Patrolling bases and parking planes took Philip all over the country and the world.
“I got to see about 70 percent of the world in four years,” he said. “I didn’t think of it as a job, I thought of it as an opportunity to learn and to grow.”
Giving back to his country and playing a role alongside fellow airmen made those four years of service extremely fulfilling for Philip.
“I think it’s kind of like a coach and a football team,” Freed said, “you need the whole team to play football, it’s not just one man you know. To me, I really enjoyed being a part of the air force team.”
Once his time in the military came to an end, Philip finished his college education at Emporia State University, becoming an Industrial Arts Teacher for children with behavioral disorders for nearly a decade.