Marysville’s Szydel retires from Air Force

Published 1:30 am Monday, June 12, 2017

Master Sgt. David Szydel retired June 1 after a 35-year career with the U.S. Air Force and Washington Air National Guard.

Szydel was born and raised in Wisconsin and enlisted in the Air Force in 1982 following his high school graduation. His military service and civilian jobs as a mechanic took him to Air Force bases in Spokane and Louisiana, along with jobs at Paine Field, various U.S. Navy sites and the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard, among several other locales. His deployments took him to Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, the Mexican border, and Afghanistan.

In 2016, he accepted a job at Naval Station Everett as a crane operator, where he continues to work. He and his wife, Terri, live in Marysville. They have one son, Adam.

Szydel earned many awards and decorations over the years. They include the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and oak leaf cluster and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 3 M Device and Silver Hour Glass.

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