Page 128 - Cityview Jan-Feb 2017

FACES OF EAST TENNESSEEA Lifetime of Duty and HonorTom Spangler’s time in the Air Force forced him to grow up and taught him the joys public serviceStory by Rebecca WhalenFOR TOM SPANGLER, LIFE HAS ALWAYS BEEN about respect, loyalty and the opportunity to serve. It’s the reason he’s successfully lled so many di erent roles in his career, and it seems to also be•Photography by Nathan Sparksand continued to grow until we were one of three law enforcement aviation units in the state of Tennessee,” he says. “We already employed several Army Guard helicopter pilots in the Sheri ’s O ce...and they were very instrumental in helping put together our standard operating procedures and everything we needed to do to make a functioning and safe aviation unit.” The unit does everything from helping to locate Alzheimer’s patients who become lost to apprehending perpetrators of major crimes. And it still thrives today, a reminder to Spangler of the success that can come from hard work and dedication to a cause.A er almost thirty years Spangler retired from KCSO in 2009 to ful ll a lifelong passion to become a professional sherman. For the next two years he competed in 12 national tournaments across the United States plus countless local tournaments. “The opportunity to work and compete with such a diverse and talented group of people has increased my appreciation for how truly competitive shing is on a national level,” he says.A call from Sherri Berrong in Blount County would end his retirement. He was called on to be the Deputy Chief of the Blount County Sheri ’s O ce and served there for the next three and one-half years. “I was honored at the timeto think that someone had enough faith in me,” he says.“To be responsible for training for another law enforcement agency was an honor.”But no matter what role he has played, Spangler holds his experiences, and the people he’s met along the way, in the highest regard. “I have had the great opportunity to work with great people,” he says. “They make the job so much easier and so much more enjoyable, but truthfully the real honor is getting to serve the citizens of the community.”Ask him what’s next and he just smiles like he is going shing, but with a Knox County Sheri ’s election on the horizon don’t be surprised if you see his name on the ballot.the reason why colleagues and friends have called on him time and time again to ll positions of leadership.Currently serving as Deputy Chief of Training at the Blount County Sheri ’s O ce, Spangler has made his mark on all facets of law enforcement in East Tennessee, speci cally in Knox County. However, what catapulted him into this lifelong career to serve and protect was his military service.Spangler joined the Air Force in 1976. “The night I stepped o the bus for basic training I have to admit I was as scared as any 17 year old could be,” he says. “The initial training was an eye opener...The military experience not only made me grow up quickly but also instilled a desire to serve.” He served for four years, receiving both the Expert Marksmanship Award and the Air Force Accommodation Award. He le the service as a Sergeant, having served in both the accounting and nance and security police divisions.Just a week and a half a er his departure, Spangler washired by the Knox County Sheri ’s O ce as a Correctional O cer. A er eight years on patrol he was promoted to the Metro Narcotics division as an Investigator. He continued to move upward through the ranks until asked by Sherri Hutchison to head up the Training Division. While there he implemented the Knox County Sheri ’s regional training academy.During his time in the training academy, he was asked to form an aviation unit. As a pilot he took to the task like a duck to water. Over several years he engineered getting a total of 5 helicopters—for free—from the department of defense. This enabled Knox County to have a fully functioning aviation unit. This kind of thinking got six million dollars worth of aircra at no expense to the taxpayer other thanthe cost of refurbishment. “We started with one aircra 126JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017