Highland native retires from Air Force as lieutenant colonel
Lt. Col. Matthew Budde, a graduate of Highland High School and the University of Illinois, retired from the U.S. Air Force on June 30 after serving 20 years.
Lt. Col. Christopher Budde, USAF, issued the retirement orders from the Department of the Air Force to his brother, Lt. Col. Matthew Budde at Fort Belvoir, Va., on June 24.
Matthew Budde’s last assignment at Fort Belvoir was a professor at the Defense Acquisition University.
Matthew Budde’s previous Air Force assignments included Vandenberg Air Force Base in California; Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado; Los Angeles Air Force Base in California; Johnson Space Center in Texas’ and Chantilly, Va., where he was a branch chief at the National Reconnaissance Office.
Medals Budde earned during his time in the Air Force included the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, plus two Oak Leaf Clusters; the Air Force Commendation Medal, plus one Oak Leaf Cluster; the Joint Service Achievement Medal, plus one Oak Leaf Cluster; the Air Force Achievement Medal, plus one Oak Leaf Cluster; the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, plus three Oak Leaf Clusters; the Humanitarian Service Medal; and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.
A dinner was held in Budde’s honor at the Officer’s Club following a retirement ceremony. Many family and friends were in attendance, including Matt’s wife, April, and sons, Caleb, Nicholas, and Mason. Others in attendence were Anthony and Donna Budde, and Jon, Gunnar and Cannon Budde, all of Highland; Chris, Cathy and Ace Budde of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Emily Finn of Bacliff, Texas; Gene and Becky Budde of Damiansville; Jerry, Marian and Jim Albers of Germantown; Linda Lehner of Tabernacle, N.J.; and Kate, Hunter and Vaughn Coblentz of Hixson, Tenn.
Budde, who hold’s a bachelor’s and master’s degree in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical/space engineering, now lives in the Houston area and is looking for a career supporting NASA at Johnson Space Center.
This story was originally published August 29, 2016 at 7:42 AM with the headline "Highland native retires from Air Force as lieutenant colonel."