Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1424321
Black Sheep in Space Lt. Col. Gene "Shocker" Adams Marty Edwards All of our Black Sheep are wonderfully unique and special. We are blue collar, white collar and no collars. Some have their Ph.D. and some graduated from the "School of Hard knocks." Some ride a brand new Harley-Davidson CVO with all the buttons and whistles and some are making payments on their used Sportster. We are Republicans and Democrats and some couldn't care less about politics. We represent all of the colors of God's people. We are men and women, each one with their own unique story and we come from forty-five US states, Mexico, France and Australia, but we have never had a member representing outer space...until now. Gene Adams transferred from the United States Air Force to the Space Force in 2021. He was notified that he had been selected to return to Colorado Springs to take command of the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron. Gene came to Christ at the young age of nine during visit with his aunt and uncle. Faith was incredibly important to and effectively modeled by his grandparents and extended family. Gene remembers bedtime prayers with his mother and brother. His immediate family didn't attend church regularly, but Gene continued to grow in walk with Jesus. Gene entered the Air Force just four days after high school graduation at age eighteen. His first job was as a Chaplain's Assistant, supporting primarily Protestant and Catholic services in Germany and Florida. He was active in Base Chapel Singles group and built lasting friendships with his fellow Christians. A few years later, Gene switched jobs from Chaplain Assistant to Space System Operator and attended training at Vandenberg, AFB CA. It was here that he flew communications satellites in CO. During his time in Colorado, he was actively involved in the Young Adults Group at Calvary Chapel. Later, he was deployed to Kuwait to work Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection on Al Jaber Air Base. Upon his return from Kuwait, he was notified he had been selected to attend Officer Training at Miami University in Oxford, OH. Along the way, he had gone home to Indiana on leave and met Amparo through a mutual friend that he had gone to high school with and with whom Amparo had attended college. In 2001 Gene began a long distance relationship with Amparo in Indiana and him in Colorado, until they re-joined one another and were ultimately married during his time at Miami University. He was commissioned as an Air Force Officer in 2004. Between 2004-2011 Gene served in Qatar and Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, working primarily Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations supporting the kill or capture of thousands of insurgents across Iraq and Afghanistan. He also, worked counter-drug and counter- transnational organized crime operations focused on South and Central America. It was during this time that Gene and Amparo's three year old daughter Sage was diagnosed with cancer. For the next year, she underwent chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and more chemotherapy. Gene and Amparo were in the hospital for long durations with Sage. The family was blessed to be close to extended family who helped take care of their other children, Timone, Mackenzie, and Samuel. During this time, Amparo and Gene grew closer together as they grew closer to God. They were on the receiving end of God's love and were blessed with peace and contentment and ultimately Sage's healing. Gene writes, "We saw God's love pour out through our family, co-workers and church. Even the surgeon reported the miracle, "Sage's tumor miraculously peeled away without invading her inferior vena cava." Gene describes his walk with Christ "up until this point" as "lukewarm" at best, but