A Summit Hill man was honored recently upon his retirement after serving 22 years in the United States Air Force, where he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Allen C. Rabayda, son of Daniel and Patricia Rabayda, Summit Hill, was the guest of honor at the retirement ceremony held June 30 at the Air Force Memorial, Washington, D.C. Presiding was Brigadier Gen. John R. Ranck, director, Warfighting Systems Integration, Office of Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., whose organization is responsible for leading initiatives to provide an integrated, capability-focused enterprise, with the goal of serving the warfighter's needs and eliminating the information seams that divide capabilities.Lt. Col. Rabayda was promoted to that rank in December, 2005, and served as the office's Chief of Resources, serving as the Air Force Modeling and Simulation Acquisition Programs Manager, since November, 2008. For the two years prior, he was Chief of Technology Integration, Integration, Strategy and Plans Division, Directorate of Current Operations and Training, at the Pentagon-based division.Rabayda's career saw him earn several military decorations since he was commissioned through the Pennsylvania State University Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps as a second lieutenant in 1989, earning a bachelor of science degree in meteorology. His honors include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the NATO Service Medal.After his initial commissioning, he was assigned to the Air Force Weather Detachment 58, 4th Infantry Division, Ft. Carson, Colo., on Oct. 16, 1989. He served as the Cadre Weather Team Officer-In-Charge under the 4ID Intelligence Division Headquarters' Staff. He was selected for and successfully completed Military Parachutist Training at Ft. Benning, Ga., in February 1991. In July of that year, he was promoted to First Lieutenant.In April, 1992, he joined the 48th Operations Support Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Base, Lakenheath, England, where he provided specialized weapons and tactics support for newly-arriving F-15E Strike Eagle Fighter-Bombers. In July, 1993, he was promoted to Captain.He was first assigned to the Air Force Weather Detachment 58, 4th Infantry Division, Ft. Carson, Colo., on Oct. 16, 1989. He served as the Cadre Weather Team Officer-In-Charge under the 4ID Intelligence Division Headquarters' Staff. He was selected for and successfully completed Military Parachutist Training at Ft. Benning, Ga., in February 1991. IN July of that year, he was promoted to First Lieutenant.In April, 1992, he joined the 48th Operations Support Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Base, Lakenheath, England, where he provided specialized weapons and tactics support for newly-arriving F-15E Strike Eagle Fighter-Bombers. In July, 1993, he was promoted to Captain.In July, 1995, he was selected one of 10 airmen to attend the Meteorology Program at the Air Base Institute of Technology's School of Engineering. After earning a master of science degree in meteorology from AFIT, he was assigned to the Air Force Combat Climatology Center, Beach Valley Federal Building, Asheville, N.C., as a transition team chief in March, 1997.In April, 1998, after successfully transitioning the unit from Scott Air Force Base, Ill., Capt. Rabayda was hand-picked for the Department of Defense's Executive Agent for Air and Space Natural Environment (Modeling and Simulation) staff, serving as the chief of its training branch.In June, 2000, he was assigned as a commander of the Regional Forecast Center under the 56th Operations Support Squadron, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. Six months later, he was promoted to the rank of Major.In June, 2003, Maj. Rabayda joined the Joint Warfighting Center, U.S. Joint Forces Command, where he served as the lead Modeling and Simulation Operational Planner for the U.S. European Command, preparing multi-national security forces for contingencies to include the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece. During his assignment, he was selected for and attended Advanced Joint Professional Military Education at the National Defense University, June through September, 2005, being promoted as a Lieutenant Colonel two months later and then assuming ths Warfighting Systems Chief of Technology Integration post the Pentagon.He is married to the former Christine Lynne Wagner of Reading. They have three children, Daniel, Adam and Sarah. Lt. Col. Rabayda is one of four sons, his brothers including Daniel, Phillip and Lewis.