For years, one of the vital recognizable faces in army life was not that of the commander in chief, the secretary of protection or another senior chief within the chain of command. It was the face of an airman who was (understandably) excited to eat a sizzling canine.
His visage graced Army and Air Drive Change Service (AAFES) places world wide, reminding American troops of what pure pleasure actually appeared like. And within the a long time because it first appeared on the Change, U.S. service members and veterans have cultivated their very own good-natured love affair with the hungry airman’s picture, elevating what was as soon as only a piece of selling materials to army meme standing.
That man was retired Chief Grasp Sgt. Robin Williams, answerable for the protection of the meals that flowed by way of AAFES installations.
To be clear, the now-iconic picture of Williams, who died of a coronary heart assault on March 14, 2024, at age 60, was greater than a meme. Now, the beloved chief is being (rightfully) eulogized by these army members who keep in mind him so fondly each as a senior chief and, after all, because the “AAFES Sizzling Canine Man.”
Robin Lawrence Williams was born in London on Nov. 4, 1963, and would attend highschool in Miami. He joined the Air Drive in Could 1983 and launched into what his obituary calls “a journey adorned by outstanding achievements and cherished moments shared with these round him.”
It is a journey mirrored by his outstanding service document throughout 30 years till his retirement in 2013. Together with a number of deployments supporting the World Battle on Terror, he was the recipient of an Air Drive Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal, two Air Drive Commendation Medals and 7 Meritorious Service Medals, in accordance with information offered by the Air Drive.
“I need my legacy to be that I helped others, in addition to the group, or left a constructive impression that conjures up different individuals to be constructive and profitable as properly,” he mentioned within the 2022 AAFES press launch that lastly revealed his id to the world.
His declare to mustard-laden fame started in 2004, throughout an unsure time for the US. As AAFES editor Robert Philpot wrote, the early years of the World Battle on Terror had been marked by “heightened concern with meals vulnerability and the potential for bioterrorism assaults on the Nation’s meals provide and the danger of focusing on army installations particularly.” It was not a job that was alleged to result in widespread fame amongst his friends, however Williams was the fitting man for the job.
On the time, AAFES was rolling out the “Snack Road” nook for its 7-Eleven-like shoppettes. Usually connected to fuel stations, they carry prepackaged meals, water, sodas and fast eats for troops on the go. The “Snack Road” included a curler grill for warm meals akin to sizzling canine. AAFES was nonetheless engaged on getting these choices into its comfort shops, and it wanted some actually eye-catching branding and advertising and marketing supplies: Would U.S. troops ever understand how scrumptious the glizzy potentialities are in the event that they did not see somebody having fun with one?
The now-instantly recognizable picture that adorned Snack Road places appeared prefer it may have been taken anyplace between 1981 to 2001; it was truly taken in 2004, when then-Senior Grasp Sgt. Williams was dispatched to the alternate companies’ headquarters to take the place of public well being and meals security liaison for the Air Drive. In that position, he received to know many individuals within the AAFES provide chain and developed a rapport with the group rolling out the brand new shows.
They then requested Williams to take a couple of images for them.
“I used to be caught off-guard, however then requested what the images had been for, to which they responded, ‘They’re for a menu,'” Williams later instructed AAFES. “Being new to working within the retail enterprise atmosphere, the one factor I may consider was, ‘Oh, they simply need some photos for the restaurant upstairs within the constructing. Why not? This needs to be enjoyable.’ On the time, I utterly forgot about how international the Change was and in addition oblivious to the potential use of pictures for broader advertising and marketing.”
Like a real senior noncommissioned officer, he was all the time keen to assist out. He did his half, went again to work and thought nothing of it; finally, he forgot in regards to the photoshoot solely. It was solely after a normal managers convention that he discovered his picture was happening menu boards across the globe. The calls from pals quickly began pouring in.
“That is when all the things began to snowball,” Williams recalled. “I began getting calls from pals within the army saying, ‘Is that what you do on the Change? Take photos and eat sizzling canine?'”
From that time on, AAFES workers world wide started to say he appeared acquainted. It was when Williams was as a result of give a meals security briefing in Phoenix that one viewers member shouted, “Oh, wow, it is the recent canine man!” And similar to that, the title “AAFES Sizzling Canine Man” was born.
Whereas some senior enlisted members may need taken offense or deemed the brand new moniker disrespectful, Williams was clearly in on the joke the entire time. It was particularly poignant when he was acknowledged by junior airmen on deployments. He would take photos with them and marvel at how a lot pleasure it gave them to share the images with family members.
“I figured, why not, it was the least that I may do to make their day, particularly given the austere situations that they had been dwelling and dealing in downrange,” Williams recalled. “Actually, lots of them expressed their pleasure and left rapidly to inform their pals that they’d met the Sizzling Canine Man.”
Williams retired from the Air Drive as a chief grasp sergeant, one who was a lot beloved by his troops and civilian friends. He continued serving at AAFES HQ as a senior program supervisor in his civilian profession. The one factor he wished to be remembered for, he instructed AAFES, is that he was dedicated to his job, labored his tail off and did his finest.
Judging from varied remembrances which have appeared on social media, that legacy is safe.
“I do know he is a meme to most, however he was an influential member of my former profession subject and a mentor of mine for a few years when [we] had been stationed collectively at Little Rock AFB,” mentioned one airman within the unofficial Air Drive subreddit.
“I’m so glad to listen to he was cherished,” one other airman wrote. “A literal AF legend in his personal proper, each for his ‘PA/Icon Standing’ and from the sort phrases shared right here and on the obituary as a buddy, mentor, household man, and Chief.”
For these focused on sending condolences to his household, Williams’ want was that in lieu of flowers or playing cards, well-wishers chip in to a scholarship fund for his grandchildren. Even in demise, Chief Williams remains to be searching for his individuals.
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