JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The bright sun pierced through the clouds above McGuire Air Force Base in late September 1987. You could hear the loud roar of the F-4E Phantom II for miles around as it waited on the runway. The aircraft started to move forward, amping up its speed as it accelerated down the runway. Master Sgt. James Giquinto, just a young Airman at the time, looked up as he saw the aircraft go into full afterburner and lift into the air ready to accomplish its mission.
The F-4E Phantom II fighter bomber was once the most premiere aircraft in the United States military. Debuting in 1960, it saw action throughout the entirety of the Vietnam War. This aircraft was a part of the, then, 108th Tactical Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard, until 1991.
Giquinto was the last maintainer, still active in the, now, 108th Wing, to have worked on this aircraft when he officially retired in November 2025.
“Being the last F-4E maintainer in our Wing's history seems so surreal,” said Giquinto. “I never thought my retirement would be such a legend. Everything just happened to fall into place.”
He worked on F-4E’s jet engines for four years starting in 1987 when he began his Air Force career. Giquinto said he loved working on the F-4E and the quick turnarounds that the fighter jet had to offer.
“The fighter jets were quick turn and burn where we had to get them ready to fly the next sortie,” said Giquinto. “I loved the pace, and I was eager to lend a hand to get the mission accomplished quickly.”
Working on the F-4E had its difficulties, especially since it was extremely hard to see some of the engine components while it was in the aircraft.
“Everything was compact to work on; at times you could not even see your hands working on the engines,” said Giquinto. “Whenever somebody got hurt, scratched or bruised, you used to call them Phantom bites.”
He took immense pride in his work while being a young Airman, even if the job caused him to have a few ‘Phantom bites’ along the way. No matter the job, Giquinto was willing to work.
“We had to put the engine on a special stand to assess the engine for leaks in full afterburner,” said Giquinto. “I always had to get underneath the engine while a huge ball of flame was going out the back of the motor to ensure the engine was working properly.”
Unfortunately, the F-4E Phantom II had to leave the 108th Wing, which was disappointing to Giquinto, but it brought in a new challenge that he was willing to take on, the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.
“The tempo of the KC-135E was not as fast as the fighters,” said Giquinto. “It felt like I was going from working on a sports car to a Mack Truck.”
Eventually Giquinto found his footing and really started to excel with his new job working on engines with a large aircraft. It also came to a point in his career where it was better for him to start taking on the lifestyle the KC-135 had to offer.
“Being a young Airman, it was great having the fighter jets with the higher tempo since I had so much energy,” said Giquinto. “By the time we got the KC-135s I was slowing down myself because I was getting older. It took a couple of years still, but I found my footing.”
He was in a real groove for several years working on KC-135, but nothing could have prepared him for when tragedy struck the entire nation, Sept. 11, 2001.
“As soon as 9/11 happened, we were called up for one year under presidential orders,” said Giquinto. “We were prepared to take action when we needed to so we could uphold the mission.”
For an entire year Giquinto answered the call and was deployed to the Middle East as part of the first wave of orders that former President George W. Bush issued in December of that year. He was busy around the clock, ensuring the mission stayed on track.
“Working nights, I saw missiles flying overhead with loud sirens going off, it was a ton of chaos,” said Giquinto. “All that training and skills I did my whole career were being put to use, which felt very rewarding knowing that it was for a reason.”
Since he enjoyed his work, he found an open spot to work full time on the KC-135 when he came home. He did that until around 2009 when the KC-135 was upgraded from the E model to the R model.
“Once we got the R models, I felt like since I was getting older, I needed to get out of the elements,” said Giquinto. “I thought it was a good idea to go into Quality Assurance so that I could still be around the unit and continue to serve.”
He needed a change of pace again after working as a mechanic for over 22 years but still wanted to maintain his status in the mechanical career field. He found an open position in QA where he would primarily inspect other people’s mechanical work as opposed to doing it himself.
“I didn’t want to be turning wrenches my whole entire career and getting dirty everyday with fuel and oil,” said Giquinto. “In QA, I get to know more about the aircraft from nose to tail by interacting with all the units associated with the aircraft.”
Being a part of Quality Assurance allowed Giquinto to continue his thirst for knowledge and learn from different mechanical backgrounds. However, after 38 years and multiple deployments, Giquinto is retired but is ready for whatever life has to throw at him.
“As I reflect back on my (military) career, I feel proud I have accomplished so much serving my country,” said Giquinto. “Today, in a different capacity, I will continue to serve my country working in Federal Service as a public servant.”