EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Air Force Test Center Vice Commander, Col. Christopher “Worm” Spinelli, retired after more than 24 years of service following a retirement ceremony at Edwards Air Force Base, California, May 29.
The ceremony took place in front of the AFTC headquarters at Edwards with Spinelli’s family, friends, and colleagues in attendance. The event was presided over by Maj. Gen. Christopher Azzano, AFTC Commander.
“Today we are saying farewell to a wonderful Air Force family that has served selflessly for 24 years,” Azzano said.
Spinelli’s career spanned more than two decades and numerous assignments, including two separate assignments at the Pentagon. Prior to serving as the AFTC vice commander, Spinelli served as commander of the 412th Operations Group, 412th Test Wing, at Edwards. Spinelli said his family plans to relocate back home to Texas.
“With all that’s happened these last few months, we’re lucky to have him,” Azzano said. “He’s had a real impact, which doesn’t surprise anybody who knows him. Impact has always been his hallmark in his career, and when you look at it, it looks like a highlight reel.”
Spinelli’s other assignments include: commanding the 445th Flight Test Squadron, AFTC chief of safety, Air Force F-35 Integration Office Test Branch chief, 416th FLTS director of operations. He is an Air Force Test Pilot School graduate with two deployments: Kuwait for Operation Southern Watch and Qatar for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is one of the very few pilots dual-qualified in the F-16 Fighting Falcon and KC-135 Stratotanker.
Following the official portion of the ceremony, Spinelli took the opportunity to talk about his career and thanked those in attendance, especially his wife and children.
“The Air Force is enamored with our gizmos and gadgets; we love our technology,” Spinelli said. “But it didn’t come about; no F-22 built itself, no F-35 built itself, it just doesn’t happen. People are the ones that make the difference. The relationships that you build, that’s what you’re going to remember, the memories that you had. That’s what has made the lasting impact in my life.”
He also charged those in attendance to always improve and not to become complacent.
“The one thing that gets in the way; it stares at you every morning in the mirror, is yourself,” Spinelli explained. “The hardest and most difficult thing that you will ever do is conquer yourself, but it’s a worthy endeavor. I challenge each of you to wake up every day and resolve to do it; to be a better person and to recognize that there’s more than just you out there in the world. Growth equals change, if you are growing you are changing. I challenge you every day to wake up and do something that will be challenging to you or take the first step; it’s the hardest part.”
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