Major General (Ret.) Alfred Flowers enlisted in the Air Force in August 1965, and was stationed at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, as an air transportation specialist during the Tet Offensive of 1968. “My first few months in Vietnam were unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, unlike anything I could imagine,” Flowers said. “The number of young Americans that I’ve assisted in moving, in transfer cases and body bags – I will never forget.” After serving 13 years as an enlisted Airman, Flowers graduated from Officer Training School in 1978. He moved through the ranks in the accounting and finance field until he served as the commander of 2nd Air Force. He went on to become the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller. “I had a dream of someday being the person who was in charge of the Air Force’s $170 billion budget, and I got the opportunity. That was a big accomplishment.”
Flowers retired in January 2012. “I regret I couldn’t stay more than 46 years,” he said. “I loved every day of what I did.”