The Air Force Armament Museum welcomed the F-15E Strike Eagle 86-184 to its permanent collection during a ceremony on Friday morning.
The aircraft honors the late Maj. Gen. Robert “ChedBob” Chedister, who was an Air Armament Center commander at Eglin Air Force Base. The center is responsible for the development, testing, and deployment of all air-delivered weapons for the U.S. Air Force.
Hundreds were in attendance for the ceremony, which included military leaders, local politicians, State Representative Patt Maney, and Congressman Jimmy Patronis.
“He would be so thankful that everybody came, and he would ask if you got enough to eat,” said retired Lt. Col. Ken Pickler of his friend, ChedBob. “More than anything, he would be touched that his legacy here continues on.”
Chedister first came to Eglin in 1980 after graduating from the Air Force Test Pilot School and returned to the base in 2001 when he became the Air Armament Center commander. He was known as an exemplary leader.
“He was a wonderful acquisition executive, but he also did things like start a corporate university for training here,” explained Pickler. “He started a civilian fitness program, and he basically started a flexible work schedule. All those things still persist.”
Chedister retired in 2005. Even when he and his wife, Trecia, moved to Charleston to be near their grandchildren, they still called the Eglin community home, said Trecia.
“It’s a reunion with everybody we love. I know this community is still paying it forward,” said Trecia, repeating the motto that her husband lived by. “I will always be grateful for this community.”
When Chedister died unexpectedly in 2022, Pickler started to work bringing one of the jets to become part of the museum’s collection with his friend’s name inscribed on it.
Weapon Systems Officer Lt. Col. Rich Bailey, and maintainers Master Sgt. Vik Maharaj, Staff Sgt. Robert Lawson and Staff Sgt. Benjamin Haag were also named on the aircraft.
“Today is the realization of that dream,” said Pickler.
It’s rare, said Pickler, for the museum to welcome new aircraft. There are often years in between acquisitions. The F-15E Strike Eagle 86-184 is an historic aircraft, used for testing, in particular the Silent Eagle demonstrator program. It’s been identified as one of the oldest Strike Eagles in the fleet.
The Armament Museum Director, David Fitzpatrick, pointed out how the aircraft not only represents Chedister’s service, but the service of many others. When pictures were posted of the plane being moved onto museum grounds, there were comments from around the world.
“So many people worked on this plane,” he said. “I know she has a lot of ties to Eglin, but reading those comments, and the connection to the entire Air Force world, is just incredible.”
Among his accolades, Chedister was a former president of the Air Force Armament Museum Foundation.
“I just became museum director at that time,” recalled Fitzpatrick. “He really worked with me and helped me shape my career and identify what I needed to work on to make this museum even better for the future.”
“It’s a very special plane for so many reasons, and he’s a very special person to me, the museum, Eglin, and the whole community, which is why we have this fantastic turnout today.”
Dr. Paul Hsu, a local tech entrepreneur, called Chedister his “friend and mentor.”
“ChedBob was very instrumental for what I’m doing,” said Hsu. “I learned a lot from him.”
The museum has about 300,000 visitors each year. When they stop in front of the Strike Eagle, Chedister’s wife, Trecia, said she wants people to feel proud of their community.
“I hope they see the airmen, the young airmen, who come and build these bombs, who work on bombs, who work on the flightline … Eglin does it the best,” she said, remembering the times she went down to the deployment center to watch servicemembers.
“I hope they walk away with pride in their hearts.”
