Bonanza grad completes Air Force career

Dick Benoit

Thursday, July 17, 2003 | 9:10 a.m.

"Going the extra mile" is the common thread woven through Air Force Master Sgt. Richard Covington's 20 years of evaluations by his superiors, according to his Nellis Air Force Base boss, Maj. Vic Hines.

Hines, the director of public affairs for the base, made his remarks after awarding Covington the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal upon the sergeant's retirement from active duty last week.

Covington, a 1978 graduate of Bonanza High School and 1982 graduate of University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is the son of Muriel Covington of Las Vegas and Oral Covington of Cedar City, Utah.

In "going the extra mile" the sergeant traveled a lot of miles during his career in the Air Force, with assignments in Germany, the Philippines and several stateside assignments.

While assigned at Lindsey Air Station near Wiesbaden, Germany, his official travels as a public affairs specialist for a communications squadron brought him to most countries in Europe and several in Africa and the Middle East.

At Lindsey in the summer of 1986, Covington experienced one of the more memorable assignments of his career, he said. The sergeant was given new media escort duties the Rev. Lawrence Jenco, an American hostage who had been released after 18 months in the captivity of radical fundamentalist Muslims.

"He was the kindest and most interesting men I've ever met," Covington said. "I'll always remember the time I spent with him."

As the public affairs specialist supporting the Air Force Regional Medical Center near Wiesbaden, Covington was often the first official contact for the hundreds of news media that arrived each time a hostage was released and flown to Wiesbaden for medical evaluation. The master sergeant recalled that the task was not easy, but always exciting.

Covington's assignment on the other side of the world at Clark Air Base in the Philippines was also memorable -- not only for his official duties, he said, which included covering disaster relief activities following a major earthquake, but also for meeting and marrying his wife, Alma.

The Covingtons and their son Tory, who attends Goldfarb Elementary School, will continue to make their home in Las Vegas.

The master sergeant, who earned his degree in social work at UNLV, feels fortunate to have capped off his career at a base in his hometown.

Hines listed some of Covington's accomplishments while at Nellis, including "spearheading a nationally televised town hall meeting for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld." Covington was also key in the planning and hosting of the largest open house and air show ever conducted at Nellis during the 50th anniversary of the Air Force in 1997.

The newly retired master sergeant is weighing his options of returning to school and becoming a teacher or putting his years of media and community relations experience to work for a business, government or community service organization in his hometown.

Academy commissions

Gabriel Arrington, Faith Lutheran High School class of 1999, has graduated from the Air Force Academy with a bachelor's degree and commission as a second lieutenant.

Arrington, the son of Col. and Mrs. Steve Arrington of Las Vegas, is scheduled to attend undergraduate pilot training at Moody Air Force Base, Ga.

Angelo Fernandez, Bishop Gorman High School class of 1998, also graduated from the Air Force Academy with a bachelor's degree and commission as a second lieutenant.

Fernandez, son of Patricia Fernandez and John and Barbara Horn of Las Vegas, will attend undergraduate pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.

In brief