Passion for progress Published Sept. 8, 2006 By Staff Sgt. Susan Penning 20th FIghter Wing Public Afffairs SHAW AIR FORCE, S.C. -- Growing up in the 1960s during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, Fred Gordon remembers a very different way of life. "I went to an all-black high school in rural Arkansas," he said. "We had no football or baseball team, or many of the other amenities the white schools had. But there really wasn't anything you could do about it at the time. There was a lot of friction between the races." Mr. Gordon wanted to get out and make a difference in the world. This led him to join the Air Force in 1971. He said at that time, it was very rare to see females or minorities in positions of authority. He began his Air Force career as a weapons loader, and was later cross trained as a dental assistant. He separated in 1980, joined the Reserve, and finished a business degree at the University of Arkansas. He said tough economical times brought him back on active duty in 1982. He made master sergeant, took a job as a first sergeant, worked his way up to command chief master sergeant, then retired as the 9th Air Force's first sergeant in 2003. After retirement, Mr. Gordon went to work at Shaw's education center as Central Carolina Technical College's director of admissions/program manager. In August, the opportunity arose for him to take a position as chief of the Shaw Military Equal Opportunity Office. He jumped at the chance. "It was a way for me to really impact the Air Force. Twenty to 30 years ago, I was a young kid with no education or life experience. Now that I've gained that, I can talk from a mature standpoint. My goal is to make Shaw's MEO office the best in the Air Force," he said. Mr. Gordon plans on doing that by enlisting the help of commanders, chiefs and first sergeants and ensuring MEO advisors have the resources they need to do their jobs. "Mr. Gordon provides leadership continuity and swift complaint resolution. He also supports the tenants of the (equal opportunity) and treatment program," said Master Sgt. Vickey Lewis, Shaw MEO Office superintendent. Mr. Gordon said although the military and this country have come a long way over the years in the fight for equality, we will always face challenges. "There are still differences to overcome," he said. "It's important that we, as adults, educate ourselves and expose our children to different cultures and ways of life."