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Andy Branigan

Profile Updated: July 16, 2025
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Where do you currently live? (State, Country)
Glendale, AZ USA
Spouse/Partner
Shelley
Occupation
FAA Aviation Safety Inspector
Children
Mine: Sean Branigan, Recklinghausen Germany
Shelley's: Cameron Kotowski and Whitney Kotowski, Both More…in Phoenix AZ
Military Service
AF  
Yes! Attending Reunion
Where in the world did your overseas chapter unfold?

Libya, England, Germany 59 to 63

Share a memory that could only have happened because of where you were.

Too many to even start into it here; but: Two years ago, out partying with friends, my wife kept staring at the bass player in the band. We were introduced by mutual friends and it turns out my wife and the bass player went to high school together in Phoenix. I was simultaneously experiencing similar feelings about his wife. After about three minutes we distilled it down to having gone to school together at Lakenheath. Can't keep a brat down, eh? Three degrees of separation if not fewer, eh?

High school graduating year:

1968

School Story

15 schools to get through 12 grades. My overseas schools were in Tripoli, Libya and some short stints at Lakenheath and Berlin while accompanying dad on extended TDYs. Also went to civilian schools in NY, FL, WA, CA, and OR. DODDS put me so far ahead that WA and CA wanted to put me ahead 2 grades but mom and dad knew better. Turns out they were right.
I spread my college around over 30 years ending up with an MS in Aviation Maintenance Management and Certification in Avionics Autopilot/Navigation Integration Engineering and a specialty in Abnormal Industrial Psychology.
Can you guess which one served me best?

What have you been up to since you graduated?

Joined the AF and did 22 years. After that spent 20 years in airlines and aircraft overhaul and conversion.
Currently I've spent the last 16 years with the FAA keeping the airways safe.

Have you been to a Gathering or Homecoming?

Yes

The dreaded question...Where are you from? Feel free to elaborate—we love brat stories!

Family home is Utica NY. I've lived there for 6 of my 75 years.

Of all the places you’ve lived, which one still holds a piece of your heart — and why?

Germany, all of it. The warmth of the people, scenery, realistic attitudes towards life.

Have you been back to visit any place you lived growing up overseas?

Germany and England

Countries you lived in overseas:

Far East
Middle East
Africa

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Jul 16, 2025 at 6:40 PM
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Jul 16, 2025 at 6:39 PM
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Andy Branigan has a birthday today.
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Jul 12, 2025 at 3:33 AM
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Andy Branigan has a birthday today.
Jul 12, 2024 at 3:33 AM
Jul 30, 2023 at 1:46 PM

Kaiserslautern High School, 1955. I share your love of Germany - I went on to major in German in college (then went off to medical school), and still read it almost daily, most often Wikipedia in German.

Do you know about the American US military cemetery in Libya, relocated to Dover DE at the insistence of the Libyan government (with our enthusiastic support)?

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Posted: Jul 16, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Posted: Jul 16, 2025 at 6:39 PM