Steven Max has very clear memories of growing up in rural Oklahoma. One of the sharpest was his parents’ willingness to drop everything and go to the aid of a neighbor in need.
“Even before he was asked, my dad was always ready to go help someone fix a hot water leak or a toilet problem,” said Max. “And then my mom was constantly willing to pick up somebody and drive them anywhere if they needed a ride.”
That “serve your community first” attitude became ingrained in Max’s life as he worked through various jobs during his school years. Whether it was hauling hay in the summer or bagging groceries during the school year, Max credits his upbringing for his decision to join the Air Force right out of high school when he graduated in 1991.
“I just felt like I needed to serve my country,” said Max. “I met a lot of friends in basic training who were there to get college paid for or to get trained in a specific job. I just wanted to serve my country.”
His initial plan was to serve four years and then return home to a job and perhaps college. But he met his wife, and they were married in 1994. They decided to continue with his Air Force career.
“I think we just looked at what we had in the Air Force and decided that since we had insurance, housing, health care, and all the other stuff, it seemed like a good idea to re-up for another four years,” said Max.
Those extra four years turned into a career that lasted 17 years total. Max and his wife saw duty stations at Altus, Tinker, the Azores, Delaware, and Little Rock. Unfortunately for Max, his job had a debilitating impact on his back, and he was medically retired from the Air Force. Despite that, he says the memories of his service are positive.
“I feel like my service was honorable,” said Max. “I had my ups and downs as everyone does, but the thing that sticks with me is the friendships you develop when you serve. The brotherhood and sisterhood. There’s just a tight connection because of your shared mission and shared honor. It made even the mundane parts of our jobs feel like they were filled with purpose.”
Since his medical retirement, Max has found a career supporting Tinker’s 72nd Logistics Readiness Squadron. He oversees a team that is contracted to provide vehicle maintenance supplies, including fuel and ground transportation. Max says that one of the things he’s come to love about his current career is that most of his team are disabled veterans.
“It just makes life more bearable to have so many who understand each other,” said Max. “While a lot of people don’t get what disabled vets go through, we can stop and swap stories that make sense. For me, it’s a powerful continuation of that same sense of brotherhood and sisterhood I had while I was in the Air Force.”
Max encourages every high school student to consider a career in the military for a wide array of reasons.
“It’s gratifying, even when you don’t consider things like getting your college education paid for or the healthcare,” said Max. “My daughter’s best friend joined the Air Force last year, and she’s now working in the medical field. I think the decision to join has worked wonders for her.”
Max and his wife have spent a tremendous amount of time supporting their daughter, Morgan, a softball star with the Moore Lady Lions. She’ll be heading off to play softball at the University of Texas at Arlington later this summer. That’s just close enough for him and his wife to continue to make some of the games. In the meantime, he’s grateful for the years he spent serving his country.
“There are just many facets to what it means to me having served,” said Max, “But one of the biggest will always be the sense of family and community that we still share from that time together.”
