Ret. Col. Richard Glorioso only had five rules for his subordinates during his time in the United States Air Force.
One: do a job right the first time, without being asked.
Two: look, talk and act professional while doing the job.
Three: have fun.
Four: act as members of a team — always.
Five: obey rules number one through four.
“And I’ll be the easiest boss you’ve ever had,” Glorioso recalled.
Throughout his life, Glorioso has stuck by those five rules.
He’s stuck by them in his flights as an Air Force pilot to all seven continents.
He’s stuck by them throughout his 27 years of service in the United States Air Force.
He’s stuck by them here, in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, where he served as a Plant City commissioner.
And he stuck by those rules in Tallahassee, as a member of the Florida House of Representatives.
“It’s amazing how people respond to that,” he said.
Taking Flight
Glorioso, a Connecticut native, was a senior at Northeastern University when he married his wife, Judy, in 1966.
“My wife was there every day, through every bit of it,” Glorioso said. “It was a team effort all the way through.”
Following his graduation in 1967, Glorioso joined the Air Force to become an officer.
“I said, ‘Where do I sign?’” Glorioso said.
He was a distinguished graduate from officers training school and was offered a regular commission.
He turned it down.
“I said I would do four years, and not a day longer,” Glorioso said.
Then came his first assignment: as an assistant director of data automation at Travis Air Force Base in California. For 20 months, Glorioso was responsible for developing passenger automated systems and installing a new computer. He quickly moved up the ranks and served as the officer in charge of the computer operations unit in Cheyenne, Wyoming, from 1969 to 1971. He surveyed missile sights and taught computer programming.
But the kid in Glorioso had a different plan.
“At age 4, I said I would be a pilot in the Air Force,” Glorioso said. He had just turned 27, and the cutoff age for pilot training was 27 and one half. “I was loving the responsibility (of the Air Force).”
After being offered commission again, he started pilot training on his final day of eligibility.
“I was never a good student,” Glorioso said. “I liked third grade so much I spent two years there. But when you find what you like, you can succeed.”
He ended up being the number one academic graduate in pilot training out of a class of 42 and earned the Academics Training Award. The training was rigorous, with 12-hour days split evenly between flying and academics.
“It’s a year of really hard work, and you’re studying absolutely everything,” Glorioso said.
With his pilot wings secured, Glorioso began flying the C-141 aircraft.
“That was the work horse of the military at that time,” he said. “We ran a pony express, except the pony keeps going.”
As a pilot, Glorioso was able to travel to places he’d only dreamed about, including Antarctica. He flew into England, Spain, Iran, Ethiopia, Germany and dozens of other countries.
Glorioso went on to be stationed in Okinawa, Japan, where he was the chief of the Airlift Control Element and served as a C/T-39 pilot.
“I planned major airlift control operations for almost three years,” he said.
Glorioso was later made the commander of the 37th Field Maintenance Squadron and was stationed in the Philippines. It was there he reached the rank of colonel before returning to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, where he oversaw inspection teams of aircraft units throughout the United States. His rank brought him great responsibility and great privileges, including being able to walk on Air Force One.
“I had a lot of careers,” Glorioso said. “I had 10 or 15 career fields and designations while most people had less. I had confidence in the people, and I would deploy with almost anyone. I was used to being the only officer.”
He continued to have confidence in the people when he retired from his Air Force career and relocated to Plant City.
Second Service
The Gloriosos moved to Plant City in 1994, where Judy Glorioso’s parents had moved for their retirement. Four years later, Rich Glorioso was elected to the City Commission. Prior to his election, he spent his time volunteering by doing taxes for low-income families and ran awards programs for JROTC divisions.
“I was still trying to figure out what I was going to do,” he said.
“I had 10 or 15 career fields and designations while most people had less. I had confidence in the people, and I would deploy with almost anyone.”
— Rich Glorioso
When he decided to run for the City Commission against an incumbent, he was only known by the residents who lived in the Walden Lake neighborhood.
“I came in last minute,” he said. “I studied the history of Plant City. I started walking door to door. I never asked for money, but I was sent checks. I wound up in a runoff election and won. I never thought I would be in politics.”
Three years later he was re-elected and served as the vice chairman and chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
“I enjoyed being a commissioner,” Glorioso said. “I enjoyed serving the people of Plant City.”
Glorioso later decided to run for an available seat in the Florida House of Representatives with six years of transportation experience under his belt.
“I decided to take transportation to the state level,” he said. “I always took care of my staff.”
Glorioso served to his term limit. In addition to Florida transportation bills, he passed bills that gave Plant City millions of dollars to build the Plant City Courthouse. Additionally, he became involved in aiding foster kids after hearing a testimony from a child who grew up in the foster system. He was responsible for bills that helped foster kids set up savings accounts and allowed them to sign leases before the age of 18.
“I passed eight bills in seven years for foster kids,” Glorioso said. “Every time you help one of these kids, it breaks them out of the cycle. If you can change one life, that’s huge. My head is transportation, my heart is foster kids.”
Though he was able to pass other major bills during his time in the House and shortly thereafter, including a major seat belt bill, he considered his time in Tallahassee as a second way of service, and not a career.
“My 27 years in the military were outstanding,” he said. “To me, that was a way to give back.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.