Rick graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and was commissioned in 1978. His career spanned 34 years in the Air Force, flying C-5s, KC-135s, and several other aircraft. He retired as a major general in 2012 as the Air Force’s director of operational planning, policy, and strategy at the Pentagon. In retirement, Rick works part time as a consultant, is an Air Force Adjunct Contract Professor, and serves on the boards of several civic and veterans organizations. He and his wife live in Asheville.