Once a Civil Engineer, Always a Civil Engineer

The Air Force provided Gerald Hampton with a career, while civil engineering provided him with a calling.

Hampton’s story starts after retiring from active duty as a Master Sergeant in 2015. After completing a robust and full active-duty career, Hampton felt like his time with the Air Force was not finished. He decided to embark on the next chapter of his career by transitioning into a job managing the lodging facility in the Air Force at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. During this time, he also pursued his undergraduate degree in Information Systems Management, demonstrating not only his commitment to lifelong learning but ability to connect his present to his future.

Upon completing his bachelor’s degree, he was presented with a decision that would change the direction of his life forever. “I decided to continue my education and obtain my master’s degree in cybersecurity,” said Hampton. The pursuit was a significant undertaking as he balanced his academic goals with the demands of his role. Hampton’s next step took an unexpected turn when his wife, who is also in the Air Force, received an offer in England. Understanding that the offer was an opportunity of a lifetime, Hampton put the career trajectory he had planned for on hold. He resigned from his position and became a dependent family member.

While the transition was a first for him, Hampton quickly found himself presented with new opportunities to get involved with the Air Force. He began teaching STEM subjects at RAF Mildenhall's Youth Center in England and shaping the minds of tomorrow’s leaders, all while continuing to earn his degree. The experience not only honed his teaching skills but also deepened his understanding of the importance of education as it was what propelled him into the next part of his journey.

Once he completed his master’s degree in cybersecurity, Hampton was ready to venture back into the workforce as a cybersecurity professional. “The next step did not go as expected, but if my time as a civil engineer taught me anything, it was resiliency and flexibility,” said Hampton. “Those characteristics would be needed for this next transition.”

After embarking on an extensive search for the right role, Hampton was offered two positions: one with the United States Secret Service information technology division and the other with the Air Force civil engineers. He ultimately chose to return to civil engineering, coming full circle to his time on active duty.

As Hampton reflects on his journey, he recognizes that he never planned to stay with civil engineering throughout his career but that it just gradually happened. Hampton spent most of his time in the Liquid Fuels Maintenance career field, which later merged with plumbing and became Water and Fuel Systems Maintenance.

One of his favorite memories of his 20-year active duty career was building a fuels system that was gravity fed while deployed in Iraq. The system was 40,000 gallons of fuel and had no mechanical parts to it. Hampton worked with his squadron to design the system in an empty field and tie it into the generators on base. “When we finished that project, it was one of those sit-back-and-take-it-all-in moments for me,” Hampton said.

Service for Hampton came with a lot of sacrifice as well as highlights. He was deployed numerous times, which meant he had to miss birthdays, holidays, and the birth of four of his five kids. “If I could go back and give myself advice as a young Airman, I would tell myself not to forget work-life balance,” Hampton said. “Throughout my time working with civil engineers, you had to be flexible and resilient. You could be at home station on Tuesday and be notified on Friday that you have to deploy somewhere else the next Friday.” Through it all, Hampton thanks his family for their support and commitment.

While Hampton is uncertain what the future holds, he is confident that it will be with the Air Force civil engineers. “I have spent my adult life in civil engineering and the unit has taught me how to navigate life, especially when things don’t go as planned,” Hampton said. “I trust that the rest of my adult life will be well spent in service to our great country and the civil engineers.”

Hampton is currently serving as the Information Systems Security Manager and Mechanical Systems Sub-Amp at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. His wife is also stationed at Joint Base Andrews with the 316th Civil Engineer Squadron. Today, Hampton uses his degrees to secure civil engineer industrial control systems and corresponding network devices. His dedication to his work and commitment to the Air Force civil engineers are evident in his passion for service.