Warrior Spotlight

Washington and took a break from school to serve with... his father, Lt. Col. Steve Beauchamp as a member of the 142nd Fighter Wing. The opportunity for Daniel Beauchamp to spend time “at the office” with his dad reinforced their bond as father and son. Currently Airman 1st Class Beauchamp is a temporary technician with the 142nd Civil Engineer Squadron. Lt. Col. Steve Beauchamp will retire from the Air Force in June. As an F-15 Fighter Pilot, he has more than 25 years of combined service on active duty and with Air National Guard. “It has been awesome to spend the last couple of years with him here,” said Airman 1st Class Beauchamp. Having served at Eglin and Tyndall Air Force Bases prior to joining the 142nd Fighter Wing in 1998, Lt. Col. Beauchamp has logged more than 3,000 hours in the Eagle. It was on Sept. 11, 2001 that he was called into action as an alert pilot, in response to the attacks in New York and Washington D.C. earlier in the day. “That day will stick with forever because we had to scramble and we knew what was on the line,” said Lt. Col. Beauchamp. Reflecting on time with his dad in the unit, Airman 1st Class Beauchamp stated that he, “didn’t realize how sentimental all this would be until my dad was about to retire.” Leaving active duty, Lt. Col. Beauchamp will return to working as a commercial pilot. He will miss flying the F-15 and the friendships he has developed over the years. “Without a doubt, I will miss the people here that make this organization such a unique place.”