THE ASSOCIATION SPOTLIGHT By Panda

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The Association Spotlight — Rick “Rickkcir” Lossner

CVMA® TX 23-11 — Audie Murphy Chapter

Twenty years in the United States Air Force gave Rickkcir a career that covered a little bit of everything. He started in Security Police in the missile field before moving into Electronic Warfare and Airborne Maintenance. After two years of technical schools, he found himself working and flying on aircraft and missions that included the RC-135 Rivet Joint and Comfy Levi C-130. His final four years were spent as a Program Engineer at the plant where those aircraft were refurbished and modified with the newest reconnaissance equipment.

His service also put him in the middle of some pretty significant moments. He was stationed in Panama when Operation Just Cause kicked off, and his unit was right in the mix of it. Not long after returning to the United States, Southwest Asia came calling in August 1990. Between 1990 and 1995, he would deploy there twelve times.

Retirement from the Air Force didn’t exactly mean slowing down. He built a second career in technology, sales, and leadership and today serves as a Director of Sales with FCN, primarily working in the technology and federal/defense space. That career has allowed him to stay connected to the military community and organizations supporting our nation’s defense. He is also a life member of the VFW, American Legion, DAV, and AMVETS.

Within CVMA®, he currently has the honor of serving as Commander of TX 23-11, the Audie Murphy Chapter. At this point in life, the plan is pretty simple: enjoy what he’s worked for while staying busy, contributing where he can, traveling, riding motorcycles, and finding the next adventure.

Like a lot of riders, he started with different bikes and kept trading up to whatever came next. Then, in 2009, he bought his first piece of “American Iron,” a 2009 Indian Chief. Harleys, customs, and plenty more Indians followed. Eventually, he stopped trading them in and just started filling the garage.

Seventeen years later, his main ride is a 2022 Indian Challenger.

Some of the machines in that garage are built for a different kind of fun. His Ninja ZX-14R is “scary fast,” while his V8 Chopper trike brings 600 horsepower to the conversation. But most of his riding isn’t about seeing how fast he can get somewhere. It’s aboard a touring bike, laying down miles and creating memories with Brothers and Sisters throughout CVMA®.

Service today goes well beyond wearing a patch. Through TX 23-11, “Vets Helping Vets” means supporting veterans and their families, raising money, helping other organizations, participating in rides and events, and simply being there when somebody needs them.

It doesn’t stop with CVMA®, either. He and his wife, Lucy, have a habit of quietly picking up the tabs of First Responders when they see them at restaurants, and each year they find themselves personally helping a few people financially when they need it.

If one word fits him, it’s loyalty.

He’s fiercely loyal to his family, friends, Brothers and Sisters, and those who have earned a place in his life. But loyalty doesn’t mean always agreeing. Sometimes it means telling someone exactly what they don’t want to hear. What matters is that when things get difficult, you’re still standing beside them.

His advice to newer members and younger veterans follows that same mindset: get involved.

Don’t just put the patch on your vest and occasionally show up. Attend meetings. Ride the rides. Volunteer. Meet people outside your normal circle. Learn the history and traditions of the Association and understand what the patch represents.

And don’t be in such a hurry to become somebody.

Show up, help out, earn people’s trust, and let everything else happen naturally. Some of the friendships built along the way may be there for the rest of your life.

“Support Your Vets” has changed over time. He’ll be the first to tell you that isn’t why he originally joined CVMA®. He didn’t join because it was a 501(c). He joined for one simple reason: to ride with fellow veterans.

But people change and grow, and so did what the Association came to mean to him.

Today, supporting veterans means actions, not words. A sticker on a truck or a Facebook post is easy. Showing up is different. It may mean raising money, helping a veteran through a difficult situation, sitting beside somebody on a rough day, or simply reminding them that they’re still part of a team.

Different branches, uniforms, places, and generations don’t erase the bond created by service.

Away from work and CVMA®, family remains at the center of his life. You’ll usually find him traveling with Lucy, working on another project, in the gym, messing with his Jeep, or preferably putting miles on the Indian.

At 66, he’s already packed quite a lot into the ride: twenty years in the Air Force, another career he still enjoys, family, motorcycles, travel, and experiences he’ll never forget.

But don’t mistake that for someone settling down.

He and Lucy are completing a new home this month and getting ready for another phase of life.

There are still roads he hasn’t ridden, places he hasn’t seen, stories he hasn’t made, and, in his own words:

“Probably a few questionable decisions left to make.”

Welcome to my world on 2 wheels

THE ASSOCIATION SPOTLIGHT By Panda

  .... Feeling Honored.  TY Panda! The Association Spotlight — Rick “Rickkcir” Lossner CVMA® TX 23-11 — Audie Murphy Chapter Twenty years ...