By Brigadier General Christopher Walker, USAF ret, USAFA 1988
STARRS Board of Advisors
I was in a dentist’s chair, getting my teeth cleaned by a dental hygienist named Jody (I cannot remember her family name), and I was also being evaluated for a dental scaling.
I was four and a half years into my career in the West Virginia Air National Guard after leaving active duty, and in my civilian role, I was the head of Information Systems for a new charter school in Frederick County, MD.
As I felt Jody’s dental tools scraping my tooth enamel, I heard someone yell in the background saying, “Jody, turn on the TV!”
Jody turned on the television in the small room where I sat, and we both watched the scene on the news (I cannot remember which network news channel it was), we saw one of the Twin Towers damaged by something unknown at the time.
News anchors and talking heads were speculating/guessing that a small aircraft had accidentally crashed into the building. I had doubts about that, since the sky I saw in the background of the television was completely clear of clouds and VFR.
As the TV news talking heads were droning on with explanations that made no sense, Jody and I saw a second aircraft fly into the second building.
I knew immediately that this was no accident. I told Jody our teeth cleaning session was over, and I called into my unit, the 167th Airlift Wing, and asked if I needed to come in. The operations desk attendant (at the time, it was SMSgt Portarica) told me to just standby and await further instructions.
I went to the charter school where I worked, and the school principal had gathered the teachers and staff. His instinct was to try to evacuate all the students to a safe location.
Thankfully, I spoke up and asked why he thought the school, that was in a desolate area in the Cascade Mountains in Washington County, MD would be in danger? I was able to convince him that hardly anyone in the county even know the school existed, and terrorists would have much more juicy targets.
The staff was still in panic mode, and I had to help them all think rationally about what they should be doing.
It was long after the horrible event that I was mobilized into active duty, and was I deployed overseas to fight the GWOT…
STARRS Board of Advisors member Brig. General Christopher “Mookie” Walker, USAF (Ret.) is a 1988 graduate of the US Air Force Academy and serves on the USAFA Association of Graduates Board of Directors.
Walker served dual hatted roles as Assistant Adjutant General and Commander of the West Virginia Air National Guard and Air National Guard Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
He was a Master Navigator with 5,200+ hours in WC-130 and C-130 aircraft, including 400+ combat and combat support hours and deployed in support of OEF, OIF, Joint Guard/Joint Forge, and Volant Oak/Coronet Oak. Walker was the Civil Aviation Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation with the Coalition Provisional Authority.
Walker was the inaugural recipient of the West Virginia “Trailblazer Award” for exhibiting a life of excellence. Hi is a volunteer speed mentor for the Black Engineer of the Year Awards. In 2024, Walker was the GOP candidate West Virginia 2nd Congressional District primary.
A Conversation with USAF Brigadier General Christopher “Mookie” Walker
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