Col. John Hill has plenty of stories about his trips abroad, but one stood out above all others.
In 2003, Hill and his wife were in India when they saw Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones sharing drinks and conversation.
When the pair left without paying their bill, Hill picked up the tab, so he could tell his friends he bought the Rolling Stones drinks, he said.
"This is what an Air Force career can get you," he said, laughing.
Hill, inspector general for the 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, shared his experiences in public service to an audience of four Wednesday in the SUB.
The event was put on by the Partnership for Public Service, which "works to make government an employer of choice for university graduates," according to a news release.
He grew up on a farm in North Dakota and attended North Dakota State University before joining the United Stated Air Force. Unlike most of his friends and family, he said he dreamed of life outside North Dakota, and found it with his Air Force career.
In 1978, Hill found his way to places such as Hawaii, Germany, Florida, Alabama and India. As an Air Force navigator, Hill has logged more than 3,900 hours in the air. During his career, he has developed into a Forrest Gump-like character - always near the center of attention, he said.
He was the lead navigator during a rescue mission in Grenada, Operation Urgent Fury, in 1983. It was also the first time he was shot at, he said.
In the mid '90s, Hill said he and a few colleagues were held for ransom in the country of Georgia before the government negotiated his release.
He also spent a lot of time in India playing a major role in revitalizing India-United States relations.
"India is the world's largest democracy," Hill said. "I think they really thought the Indians were in with the Soviets, but they wanted to be our friends all along."
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While India and Pakistan were on the verge of war in 2001, Hill worked with the U.S. ambassador, who was speaking directly with President George Bush.
Hill said he also assisted in getting Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and David Souter, who were traveling in the Middle East, back into the U.S. immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
"That's cool for somebody who grew up on a farm in North Dakota," he said, adding he has met former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on more than one occasion.
Hill also oversaw the implementation of United States-European arms control treaties and led arms control inspection and escort teams in Europe.
Audience member Mary Monta§o said she was struck by how "nonmilitary" his story was.
"It's not what a person would typically think of a military career," she said. "It's just regular people doing regular jobs and getting amazing results."
UNM staff member Elizabeth Grant agreed.
"I was surprised about the value on education, and how he was saying, at least now, to really advance in the military you need a master's degree," she said. "And I don't think I would have necessarily thought that."
