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Retired Air Force couple calls Warner Robins their 'permanent' home

Despite living all over the world, one retired Air Force couple says they choose to call the International City 'home'

When people think of retirement, they may think of tropical destinations and the sound of waves crashing by the ocean.

Many others, however, feel right at home in Central Georgia with the sound of planes flying overhead.

That's the case for one former Air Force couple. Despite seeing the globe, they say it was not until they came to the International City that they finally found a home.

At Camp Mission Quest, young pilots try their hand at the flight simulator. Sitting in the stationary cockpit, they take virtual flight and Mike Trotter is close by.

"Easy on the control stick," he says. "This isn't like a video game."

The Former Lieutenant Colonel is helping some young pilots earn their wings.

Retired after more than two decades in the Air Force, he used to fly F-4s and F-15s.

"I wanted to fly jets," Trotter said. "It's all I ever wanted to do."

Now, he works with grounded planes at the Museum of Aviation.

"That's the front part of the fuselage, and that's the tail section," he says guiding students through the hangars.

Trotter says volunteering at the Museum of Aviation gives him a way to continue to share his passion, and it is just one reason he and his wife Jackie settled down just a few minutes down the road from Robins AFB.

One might say they're a pretty good match, after all she is also a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force

"I started out as what they call an information officer, which later become public affairs officer," Jackie explains.

The two met in Turkey, and have lived in a long list of places: Iceland, Alaska, Germany, New York, Texas, California and Virginia are on the short list of examples.

The couple sits in their den full of Air Force memorabilia. Model planes adorn the mantle, while they sort through bags of patches -- each one a memory.

Jackie says she was the one who ultimately brought them to Warner Robins.

"I was offered a job with Reserve Command here, and we debated and decided it was my turn," she laughs.

That was back in 1994. This time, though, they decided they would unpack their bags and boxes for good.

"This has become our home," she smiles.

The couple says their initial draw to Warner Robins was the good school system for their son Jeremy, who was in high school at the time. Then he attended Mercer University, just up the road in Macon.

Mike and Jackie say they appreciate the low cost of living in Warner Robins, as well.

In fact, real estate website Livability.com named Warner Robins the most affordable place to live in Georgia, based on the median home price and the low unemployment rate.

The reason the two stayed was the camaraderie.

"It has become family for us," Jackie says. "Mike being an Air Force brat never really had a place to settle. I grew up in a small community, so I like having that community."

"Everyone knows the Air Force is the life blood of the community," Mike adds. "It makes it easier to get to know people, because Air Force people have been around. They're always having to make new friends, so making friends here is not hard."

While they're no longer stationed, they're by no means stationary. Trotter says he likes the central location.

"I can be anywhere east of the Mississippi in six hours by either driving or flying," he says.

"But there's a lot to do here too!" Jackie chimes in.

With almost 60 years of combined service, this couple says it took living internationally to find their home in the heart of Georgia.

As Mike described it: "It's a big, small town."

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