ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE --
Thankful for his team, AEDC family, health
Spend any time talking to Al Milhoan, Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA) control system architect, and one will notice within a few minutes that he's an intelligent guy but also someone who is sincere and humble.
Milhoan, an Estill Springs resident who recently received the ATA Engineer of the Year award for 2014, thanked his colleagues for their contributions, which he says allowed him the opportunity to be presented with this prestigious honor.
"It's not one individual," he said. "It's always a team effort to get a problem solved."
He explained that his job duties entail resolving issues for the control systems on base, and often times it takes a group of people putting their heads together to come up with the right solution.
Milhoan began working at the base in 1982 and was hired originally to make printed circuits but that later changed.
"I started working with Jim Cunningham, who was teaching at UTSI, on the ATCS (Automatic Test Control System)" he said. "That's how I got into controls."
According to Milhoan, it was an especially exciting time in his career.
"I had the chance to speak with the space shuttle designers about what they had worked on," he said.
Milhoan says he still gets excited about coming to work, but one experience in particular has made him even more grateful for every day he wakes up and has a chance to drive through the gates at Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC).
Three years ago Milhoan visited a specialist regarding a persistent pain in his ribs. Initially thinking it was a result of his waterskiing injuries, he was told the pain was something much worse.
"I was diagnosed with bone cancer and the doctors said I had three months to live," he said.
Taking this shocking information in stride, Milhoan went about getting his affairs in order, talking with ATA General Manager Steve Pearson and ATA Human Resources personnel about his options and making sure his wife, Jennifer, would be the beneficiary of his insurance policies.
Milhoan mentioned that all his friends at AEDC were upset to hear the news of his illness and wanted to do anything they could to help, going as far to research experimental programs being offered to treat his particular type of cancer.
"They found a trial program at Vanderbilt and I ended up being accepted to it," he said.
For months, Milhoan lived at an apartment close to the hospital in Nashville and went to daily treatments of chemo.
The diagnosis had been grim, but every Dec. 22 Milhoan now gets a "birthday" card from Vanderbilt celebrating the day he received a new immune system.
Since that time he's been gradually getting his strength back. But not long after receiving this good news, his wife has had her own health scare - breast cancer.
Fortunately, he and Jennifer are both in remission now and he knows it won't be long before they're once again enjoying their favorite hobbies of boating, racquetball and horseback riding.
Huge animal lovers, the couple can often be found doting on their Labradors and cats. They also have 10 horses, four full-size and six miniature horses.
When Milhoan isn't at work, he definitely has a lot to keep him busy, and in spite of all he's been through in recent years he continues to have a positive outlook on life and his career.
It took him by surprise when going about his normal daily routine, he found out he was named ATA Engineer of the Year. He said he was still at a loss for words when accepting the award from Rob McAmis, ATA Director of Test and Evaluation, at this year's awards banquet.
"Everything I've experienced out here just goes to show you that though we (ATA) take care of the business side and we're very good at that, we're also about taking care of people and figuring out what we can do to help," he said. "So, I'm very appreciative; it's a huge honor to receive his award."
Presenting the award, McAmis stated it couldn't go to a more deserving person.
"Al Milhoan is recognized as the ATA Engineer of the Year for his specific work in applying advanced control system design and implementation skills to develop the control for a complex fuel system heating and fractional distillation system for hypersonic propulsion test capability," he said. "This project has unique, never been done before dangerous, high energy systems that required the innovation in the control system to meet safety and operational needs.
"Mr. Milhoan worked directly with the Air Force Research Laboratory, used his unique insight into controls and communication theory, his and ability to work with others and their knowledge and experience in thermochemical properties and process system design and operation to solve difficult physics problems that have not previously been successfully automated.
"Al does these things every day, challenging what we think we know and continually improving to deliver systems previously thought to be un-doable."
ATA Chief Engineer Scott Bartlett reflects that Al has done these things throughout the country and the world and AEDC now benefits from his exceptional insights and his ability to work with others to make things happen.