Fresh from the cold, brown hills of Afghanistan for the past three years, Bill Reynolds is still getting acclimated to his warm, bright, comfortable new work environment at the helicopter hangar off of West Ox Road. A native Texan, Reynolds is a cheerful, grateful man and says he’s “tickled” to be doing a job he loves “a little closer to home”. As part of the Fairfax One team, Reynolds works with and oversees the strict safety maintenance of both FCPD helicopters. As a military contractor, he tended to a fleet of over 30 Cessna 208’s; the entire Afghanistan air force. He traveled from base to base around the countryside, rising at 5 a.m. and working until 7 p.m. each day for seven days a week.
Reynolds stayed in a fenced-in encampment, and with his few hours of free time, he typically exercised or watched television. Standing in line for meals or other resources was a way of life. His first interview with Fairfax county personnel was from his home- base in Kandahar a few months ago. After a series of interviews and checks, Reynolds eventually was offered and accepted the position. He arrived in Virginia on Dec. 15 and began employment with the FCPD on the Dec. 29.
Law enforcement isn’t new to Reynolds; he was an FBI contractor for several years prior to his overseas service. He took care of aviation assets for two of the agencies units based in Northern Virginia.
Traffic doesn’t bother Reynolds; neither do other pesky little things that may annoy some. With a positive attitude and a friendly smile, Reynolds embraces the five day-a-week schedule with a team he enjoys, and looks forward to a long career with the FCPD.