‘Engraving’ a new life

From a two-decade career in the Air Force to a thriving laser engraving business, Hood County resident George Northup is living proof the sky actually isn't the limit when it comes to pursuing one's passions.

Growing up in Ollie, a small town in Iowa, Northup developed a desire for adventure that would later shape his remarkable journey. At the young age of 18, he decided to enlist in the Air Force on the buddy system, which guaranteed him and his best friend, Mickey Dean Ruggles, the opportunity to train and serve together. However, just two weeks after enlisting, Northup’s best friend passed away in a car accident.

"They said, ‘You're out. Your contract doesn't mean anything now, because it’s not the buddy system.’” Northup said. “I thought, ‘Well, what else am I gonna do?’”

Despite his tragic loss, Northup persevered, choosing to enlist anyway to embark on what would become a 20-year journey in the Air Force. He was initially assigned to the aerial port, where he was responsible for cargo preparation on the ground — though it wasn’t long before he found himself in more dynamic roles.

"I was lucky,” he said. “I never had to go to work eight hours a day and build pallets of cargo. I was always a combat mobility element team leader or a parachute rigger or an aerial port mobility flight team member, I was always TDY (temporary duty) on the go. I never had to go to work for a shift, so to speak."

Halfway through Northup’s career, he cross-trained to become a C-17 loadmaster, where he was responsible for the safe loading, securing and unloading of cargo and passengers. Northup explained that transitioning from being the ground support for cargo to being the sole enlisted crew member on the aircraft brought a new kind of excitement.

"That’s where the real fun started,” he said. “Every day it was a damn adventure. It was a different lifestyle and a different way of going about things, but still awesome. I was gone 300 days a year on a jet, seeing the world for 10 years — that wasn't too bad of a deal.”

Northup visited so many locations during his service that he joked it was simpler to list the places he hadn’t been than those he had. He explained that, while it might sound nerdy, his work on a cargo plane was vital to the war effort, as it involved delivering essential supplies to various locations.

"We were all over the world all the time. You never knew where you were going to be the next week. It was insane,” he said. “Awesome, but insane.”

Northup served in the Air Force from 1992 to 2012, when he retired in Charleston, South Carolina. At that time, he was still married to his wife — who was also active duty — and the couple remained in Charleston for a couple of years before his wife received orders to relocate to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. A few years later, his wife received orders again to relocate to McChord Air Force Base in Washington State, where they stayed for several more years, before moving to Granbury in 2020.

Northup also reflected on his diverse assignments at bases such as Dover, Delaware and Okinawa, Japan, as well as the contrasts between places like Little Rock, Arkansas — which he humorously noted was far from paradise — and the charm of Charleston, which he considered a “different kind” of paradise.

After retiring from the Air Force, Northup sought a new direction for his career — one that took him from cargo planes to custom creations with laser engraving. Having started his first engraving business in 2014, he quickly discovered the versatility of the craft. Though he sold that business upon moving, he reignited his entrepreneurial spirit in the fall of 2020 when he established Laser Junky in Granbury, located at 316 S. Morgan St, near Wild Roots Salon.

He describes laser engraving as a process that allows for the personalization of a wide array of items, ranging from paper wedding invitations to bricks and “everything in between.”

“It's never ending,” Northup said. “What that business does, it's hard to put in a nutshell.”

He explains that Laser Junky has a wide-ranging scope, as it includes commercial projects for aircraft and specialized engravings for firearms, while also offering personalized engravings for everyday items such as mugs and keychains.

“It started out as a hobby, and it’s no longer a hobby, I can tell you that. It’s insane,” Northup said. “It’s a five-day wait now to get something back from me.”

Even though Northup’s days aren’t as adventurous as they used to be, he reflects on the thrill of his Air Force career, where he spent 300 days a year traveling the globe, experiencing new cultures and challenges.

“I got lucky in the Air Force,” he said. “I had a great time. I was a kid. I was seeing the world. You were gone 300 days a year. I mean, I'm from Iowa, and before I knew it, I was in Somalia. And then from there, we went to France for six months, and then it's all the time everywhere, with never knowing where you're going next, or who you're helping.”

He explained that when he cross-trained to become a C-17 loadmaster and began flying on the jet, it elevated the chaos of his lifestyle to a whole new level. Northup stated that he was still gone 300 days a year, but that he was sometimes in a different country four times a day, engaging in operations that many people were unaware even took place.

Now at 51, he said he feels a stark contrast to the chaotic lifestyle of constantly being on the move, as he navigates the quieter routine of civilian life. While he cherishes the friendships and experiences from his time in the military, he admits that adjusting to a more mundane existence has brought its own challenges, filled with boredom and anxiety.

“In both of my jobs, I was mobility,” he said. “Your job is not to wake up every day at six and be there at eight for an eight-hour shift of processing passengers or building cargo pallets or whatever they want. We would get back from a trip on a Tuesday, and it might be the following Thursday by the time we left again, and you weren't expected to be at work during that time, because you're always gone."

He explained that many of his friends in the Air Force held regular positions, working set shifts and processing passengers like they were at a civilian job. Northup noted the stark difference between their experiences and his own chaotic lifestyle, which made adjusting to civilian life even more challenging.

"It shouldn't even be the same job, but it is, if that makes sense, so it was pretty cool,” Northup said. “It was a shock to the system (when I retired) not being around the world every week doing different stuff with different people.”

While the experience was definitely unique, Northup said he sadly regrets his decision to enlist in the Air Force, as it meant spending two decades away from his father, who he described as his “best friend.”

“I regret the whole thing really," he said. "I left for 20 years, and then three years after I retired, my dad died, so I missed all that time with him, which makes me regret it.”

Ultimately, Northup's transition from the Air Force to civilian life weaves together a compelling narrative of adventure, sacrifice and reflection, showcasing his ability to embrace change and discover new passions.

His journey also highlights the importance of adaptability and the pursuit of fulfillment — reminding us that new beginnings can emerge from even the most challenging experiences.