Col. Christopher G. Cain joined the Air Force for an opportunity to serve.

Bossier man’s life plan takes a detour to the Air Force

Periodically, 318 Forum’s Tony Taglavore takes a local person to lunch — someone who is well-known, successful, and/or influential — and asks, “What’s Your Story?”

The plan was simple. Drive from Houston, where he was teaching high school history, to his hometown — Bossier City — and attend a promotion ceremony for a friend’s father stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base.

You know what they say about plans. “I was the serial single guy. When I met my wife, I was not looking for my future spouse. I was looking to travel the world and serve my country in whatever way I could. I wanted to be rich in experiences.”

But the night of the ceremony, he was introduced to the airman’s daughter, who was studying accounting at Texas A&M University.

“We met and fell in love. Like, right away.”

I’ll say. A month later, they were engaged. Thirteen months later, they were married.

But there was one problem that he discussed with his parents.

“I had tickets to go to Guyana, South America, and I think I’ve met the woman of my dreams.”

As is often the case, love won. The Peace Corps, of which he was planning to be a member, lost.

“I didn’t commit, but the desire to serve didn’t go away. I was still developing a life plan.”

Colonel Christopher G. Cain, the 51-year-old father of four, born and raised in Bossier City and recently named commander of the 2d Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, told me that story — and his story — during lunch at a place he chose: Jacquelyn’s Café. The commander enjoyed a shrimp salad sandwich and iced tea with Splenda.

“I like local places,” Chris said of where he prefers to dine.

But while Chris’ sentimental love story is sweet and all — he and Ashlee have been married 24 years — what does it have to do with commanding the largest bomber base in the United States Air Force?

“Every few weeks, we would come see her parents (Chris moved to College Station). ... I started getting to know her parents. I started to learn more about military life than I had ever learned before. ... I started talking to her father and was curious about the military.”

Eventually, Chris’ soon-to-be father-in-law laid it out in black and white.

“If you really have a heart to serve, want to improve your education, and see the world, the answer is right here in front of you. And it’s not a bad life, either.

“That kind of tugged at me.” So much so that Chris, who once dreamed of being a veterinarian or a lawyer, worked in health care marketing and was director of an adult day care center, took steps to get accepted into the Air Force. That, despite having never flown. But he sure wanted to.

“I was able to muster enough money to log five hours in a Cessna over the course of three or four lessons to try to get some sort of air sense.”

Eventually, the Air Force told Chris he would not be a pilot but would be a weapons system operator and navigator. Chris went to officer training school in Alabama in August 2001.

You know what happened in September 2001.

“I joined the Air Force for this huge opportunity to serve, see the world and improve my education. Then we immediately went to war — the global war on terror.

It was surreal really quick.”

One thing that stands out about Chris’s military career is that it’s unlike the career of most servicemen and servicewomen. He’s lived in a few places here and there, but has spent the majority of his uniform time in his hometown.

“(When Global Strike Command was established), there were more staff opportunities just to stay at Barksdale that I would not have had at other locations. ... Staying at Barksdale the first close to 10 years of my career made sense, and I was still progressing as a young officer.”

But what about Chris’ desire to travel the world and wanting to be “rich in experiences”?

“The B-52’s have taken me all around the globe. Though I’ve been stationed here for a lot of my career, the B-52 has taken me to Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific — it’s taken me to every corner (of the world) you can think of.”

But there’s no place like home. Born at the old Bossier Medical Center, Chris spent his first few years in south Bossier before his family moved to Cypress Lake in Benton.

“I spent a lot of time water skiing, running, hunting and fishing.”

In fact, Chris, a self-described “A and B student,” loved to run so much that in high school (Airline), where his mom taught and was named Teacher of the Year, he competed in track and cross country.

“I was a squirt. I was pretty small. I discovered I had a talent for running.”

That talent led to him walking on at LSU, where he lettered in both sports while earning a history degree. Chris has since earned two master’s degrees, one in business administration and one in military sciences.

Every so often, Chris — who admits to sometimes suffering from Imposter Syndrome, doubting his skills and successes — goes back in time.

“I still take a spin down Hollyhock Lane and have flashbacks and memories of when I was 4 years old and walking around that house.”

Feeling inferior — taking an hour of the colonel’s time, knowing he has much more pressing things on his plate — I asked my final question. As always, what would he like to share from his life story that might help others?

“I think we all have a purpose. ... The toughest part for younger folks is discovering what that purpose is. ... You have to be looking for it. You’ve heard that old quote: ‘Success is when preparation meets opportunity.’ Finally, it was revealed to me what I should be doing. ... I think everybody has their purpose. They just have to discover what it is, be patient, and try not to force yourself into an occupation, career or any kind of endeavor where it doesn’t fit.”

Follow that advice, and you may fall in love twice. Once with a person, and once with a career.

Tony Taglavore is a freelance writer with 40 years of media experience. A former television news and sports anchor, he owns Sweet Lou Media, a full-service advertising agency.