ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average time an employee stays with the same company is 4.1 years, but a member of the 28th Maintenance Group's Additive Manufacturing Flight has far exceeded that statistic.
Dr. Brian James, AMF director and chief engineer, recently celebrated his ruby anniversary, 40 years of government service.
"Honestly, when I look back, it doesn't seem that long," said James. "It's gone by pretty fast, but the last 15 years have flown by and have been amazing."
The native of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., first joined the Air Force in 1983 as an instrument flight control systems specialist stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.
Today, James is charged with keeping Ellsworth's B-1B bombers flying by applying cutting-edge technologies to streamline repair and maintenance processes.
"It's an engineer's dream job," said James. "We are able to repair and restore components that were previously unrepairable."
In addition to his dream job, James attributes a large part of his longevity to the Airmen and people he has met along the way.
"The Air Force is a family, and the camaraderie is something that can't be duplicated," said James. "I have met some fascinating people and have seen them excel and better themselves in the Air Force; it's so inspirational."
One of James' AMF colleagues also shared these sentiments.
"He is one of the best people I've ever worked with," said David Darling, AMF site manager who has known James for more than 15 years. He's awesome, and he's absolutely not afraid of the dirty work."
For James, looking back at the past four decades doesn't seem like work at all.
"It's the people and contributing to the mission that keeps me going," said James. "I've loved every minute of it."