50 years of faith

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christopher L. Ingersoll
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  About 60 civilian and military employees from the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron gathered in Middleton Hall recently to celebrate Faith Rutterford's 50-year career at RAF Mildenhall.

But Ms. Rutterford said she isn't ready to call it quits just yet.

The April 24 event came weeks prior to the 75th anniversary celebration of the base itself, and the Ministry of Defence employee said not only has she been here to witness much of that heritage, she has seen her fair share of changes.

"I have been a secretary for the last 22 commanders of the 100th CES," she said matter-of-factly, adding that one of the most interesting changes was the move from typewriters to computers.

"I tried to adjust to the changes both with the personnel and improvement in technology and have attempted to apply myself in whatever changes arise," she said.

But commanders and typewriters aren't the only changes she has seen during her long career. She said she has worked in four different buildings - two of which she watched being built - as the 100th CES has moved to accommodate growth and changes throughout the years.

Ms. Rutterford reminisced on one of those buildings during her speech at the dinner.

"Building 680 was a Nissen Hut, and I worked with about 60 GI's," she said.

"Eighteen year olds dreamed back in the early '60s," she added with a bit of a grin. "I expect that's the reason it takes quite a bit to get me blushing today."

A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel; a variant of which - the Quonset hut - was used extensively during World War II by the Commonwealth and U.S. military to build army camps and air bases.

Although most of the people she worked with from the '60s have long since retired, she is occasionally reminded of some of those people.

"One day in the dining hall I noticed a Senior Master Sgt. Sousa - an unusual name you might think," she said. "When I plucked up the courage to speak to him, I asked if any of his relatives had been assigned to Mildenhall in the past. He said, 'Yes, my father was here in the early '60s.' That confirmed my suspicions. I told him his father had been my first supervisor here, and I assumed he was the baby I used to see with his father whenever he was brought to the office."

This long history of doing the same job has brought a lot of continuity to the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron commanders. This resource is something that very few commanders have access to.

"Miss Faith is a wealth of knowledge," said 100th Civil Engineer Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Svoboda in an email. "There is hardly ever a circumstance which is completely new to her. I rely on her to make sure we use the squadron's corporate knowledge and experience."


He also added that he didn't want the job as commander unless she was a part of the package.


"I first met Ms. Faith eight years ago when I was coming to Mildenhall to work on Air Mobility Command projects. When I was selected to command the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron, I told my predecessor, that if Miss Faith was retiring when he left, I wasn't going to take the job. I don't envy the commander who is here when she ever decides she is ready to retire."


The past 50 years have been very successful for Ms. Rutterford. She has won several awards and has been praised as the mother of the squadron. She attributes her success to her enduring faith in God.

"Thanks to my parents, my entire life has been governed by my relationship with God," she said. "It hasn't always been easy but that was my fault, not his. I believe we are all here for a purpose. He created me, and put me where I am today for which I am grateful."
"When I was 60 years old I was given the opportunity to stay on here," she added. "I prayed about it and was led to a reading from my New International Version Bible, 'A man - or woman in my case - can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.' That was written by King Solomon who was said to be the wisest man in the history of the world."

Faith Rutterford's name describes her well. She is a woman of faith and has served faithfully for 50 years - but she's not ready to hang it up just yet.