Pete Dawson

Pete Dawson served in the United States Air Force from 1975-1979 attaining the rank of Sergeant. His speciality was aircraft maintenance, working on KC-135A & Q, RC-135, and EC- 135H aircraft. He attended Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas and Technical training at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. His first duty station was just outside Madrid, Spain at Torrejon Air Base for approximately 7 months. He then transfered, after a mission change at Torrejon, to RAF Mildenhall in the U.K. for 3 years, from which he had several temporary duty assignments to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.

After separation from the Air Force he worked as the Senior Park Ranger for the Township of Wayne, N.J. from 1979-1982. In 1980 he attended a 2 year course in Electronic Engineering Technology at Radio Electronics and Television Schools in New Jersey. After graduating From R.E.T.S. in 1982 Pete worked for Siemens Analytical X-Ray Instruments as a Service Representative until 1988, installing, maintaining and repairing both XRF & XRD equipment as well as high-voltage generators. He started here at the R. B. Gilmore X-ray Analytical Facility in 1988 as the XRF Technician. Pete runs the day to day operations of the lab, training its users in sample preparation and instrument operation, repairing/maintaining the X-Ray instruments and supporting equipment.

Pete's outside interests are: Historical Miniatures (for which he has received many National and International awards), Scale Models of military and civilian subjects for which he has received many National awards (he has been constructing and painting scale models/miniatures for over 30 years), Swiss Railways, Military History, Science Fiction books and films, cooking (he is well know for his Gingerbread Houses, which are made for the Department of Geosciences Holiday Parties). He is also the founder of the Annual Celebration of the Sacking of Lindisfarne (celebrated each June 12th).

---