Upon graduation, Airman First Class Crete was hand-picked for a four-year special assignment to the newly created 4461st Security Police Squad that would provide operational security for all of the Air Force’s new, top-secret F117-A stealth aircraft.

The planes, known only as “the resource,” were based at the Tonopah Test Range (TTR), a highly classified weapons testing site in Nevada. Like the legendary Area 51, the TTR officially did not exist. As a part of what, at that time, was the largest Black Operation in Air Force history, Dave’s mission was to protect the resources and their base against all threats at all costs.

After three and a half years of providing F117-A security at TTR and undisclosed locations around the world, a severe knee injury forced Dave to transfer to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada where he served the remainder of his commitment. He received his Honorable Discharge in 1989 and is still actively involved in the 4461st veteran’s support group.