Gary Ludwig is the Tennis Player of the Month.
Dennis Whitley
Most of us have heard the expression, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” This is usually said in jest. However, in the case of Gary Ludwig’s career with the U.S. Air Force, it wasn’t a laughing matter, since his work was confidential and required a high level of security clearance.
Gary’s career as a researcher began as a three-year project, which led to another project and then another until he had thirty-two years as a civilian with the Air Force before he retired. That first project took place at the height of the Cold War when the United States’ ability to communicate with their pilots was vulnerable and could be knocked out with a nuclear explosion above our atmosphere. Gary and his team developed what is known as the Emergency Rocket Communication System (ERC) that allows the president to communicate with our bombers should we be attacked. Some of the other projects Gary worked on included remotely piloted vehicles (drones), the F-22 Raptor, and the F-35 Lightning.
In Gary’s last 13 years with the Air Force, he was a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES), which is the highest level a civilian can achieve. This is considered at a level equal to a General.
After retiring, Gary’s wife Karen felt that he needed a new hobby that got him out of the house and around other people, so she bought him a tennis racket. At the time, he and Karen lived in the Mesa area where he felt that the East Valley Tennis League did an excellent job of nurturing beginners and getting them to advance their level of play. They also played in a USTA Senior Tennis League when they were back in Ohio.
Gary and Karen have two children, Bryan and Beth, and three grandchildren, Simon, Zachary, and Julia. Wanting to be closer to their daughter Beth drew them to PebbleCreek. The housing choices, amenities, and, of course, the tennis facilities all played a part in their decision to move to PebbleCreek.
Having lived through the Cold War and air raid drills in school, it’s comforting to know that smart people like Gary Ludwig are working to keep our technology on the cutting edge, and our military the best in the world.
Our thanks go out to our Tennis Player of the Month, Gary Ludwig, for doing his part in keeping America free.