AP Physics teacher Michael Richards served in the Air Force for 12 years in various places in the United States before coming to WJ. Richards has seen the effects of physics in the different areas of his work.

Richards, an aerospace engineer, joined the Air Force during the time period when President Ronald Reagan was expanding the nation’s military forces. The fact that he came from a military family, with past generations serving in the Navy, was not his only incentive to join the Air Force. At the time, the country also had a weak economy so joining the army allowed him to maintain a stable financial state.

“[Joining the military] came about because of the economic times, and the air force was looking for someone with engineering experience,” said Richards.

In the Air Force, Richards performed many different roles, including being the chief of  the Threat Analyst division, flight test manager, air craft manager and a ROTC instructor. He used his job as an ROTC to lead into his teaching career.

“I was an ROTC instructor mainly to see if I really liked teaching, and I did,” said Richards.

The military has helped Richards with many different parts of his teaching career including the structure of his class procedures and policies.

“I’m glad I did 12 years of aerospace engineering, because now I have that real world experience that I can weave into my lessons,” said Richards.