User:Tstockma

Introduction


I am tstockma, aka Tom Stockman, an IT guy and technology geek of long standing. I bounce between Denver and Colorado Springs on the Colorado Front Range, and frequently find myself in the spectacular Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I hike the peaks of these beautiful mountains, I search out the secluded streamside camping sites, I explore the highways and dirt roads of Colorado's high country. I currently am the marketing director for one of Colorado's oldest and biggest tourism web directories.

Taking a Break
Sometime in early June 2006, I will be taking an extended break from online activity, possibly until fall of 2006.

United States Air Force


I began my career as an enlisted man in the United States Air Force. In 1978 I wrote a computer display program for the giant wall screens in the underground Strategic Air Command Headquarters at Offutt AFB in Omaha, Nebraska...the program compared reports from NORAD of incoming nuclear missiles to the actual electronic feeds from the various RADAR and satellite detection systems.

In 1979 and 1980, several incidents occurred where NORAD at Cheyenne Mountain reported the USA was under nuclear missile attack, due to at least two different erroneous causes. Until that time, NORAD's reports were regarded as sacrosant; having the direct feeds from the detection systems may have prevented the USA from starting a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union and World War III.

It's a very amazing story. Part of the U.S.'s bomber fleet was off the ground for safety's sake, circling in the air, awaiting orders to start their bombing runs on the Soviet Union.

If I hadn't written that program, someone else would have been given and completed the same assignment. We at the core of that shop were a talented bunch.

I was also selected as the SAC Outstanding Airman Of The Year in 1980.

Current Career and Life
I've lived in Denver or Colorado Springs since 1983, as a computer programmer. I love the Rocky Mountains and spend a lot of time up in them thar hills. I also webmaster several websites.

In addition to my love of Colorado's Rocky Mountains, I am passionate about music of many genres, downhill and cross-country skiing, Sci-Fi, container gardening, aquaria, The Little Bear, overclocking AMD computers, Corvairs, and sometimes running audio soundboards for small bands as a thumb-fingered amateur.

I have also recently been on a kick as an amateur historian of Colorado's mining days, writing articles for a web site and updating wikipedia entries on that subject, especially on WP about Colorado's eastern plains.

Wikipedia Contributions
I've used wikipedia for years as a research source, but only started editing pages in 2005. Pages that I either authored or made significant changes to are:


 * Web Application Structure for PHP
 * U.S. Highway 285
 * Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
 * Colorado Springs, Colorado
 * Kiowa County, Colorado
 * Crowley County, Colorado
 * Chivington, Colorado
 * Sand Creek Massacre
 * Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
 * First Colorado Cavalry
 * Fort Lyon
 * Omaha Easter Sunday Tornado (1913)
 * Battle of the Basque Roads
 * James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier
 * 666 (The Apocalypse Of John,13/18)
 * Creatures of Light and Darkness