Major Gil Dickens, Execution Manager for the Total Air Force Budget Secretary of the Air Force FM, Pentagon
CANTON, Mo — A key and recurring moment that Culver-Stockton College alumnus Eugene G. Dickens Jr. ’74 said he remembers from his time on the Hill includes the familiar figure of Olga Bays walking along College Hill Road surrounded by military students.
During her 34 years at Culver-Stockton, Bays held many positions ranging from history professor to registrar. She also served as Culver-Stockton’s military liaison, founding and managing the College’s “Bootstrapper” program.
“Ms. Bays was surrounded affectionately by dozens of Bootstrappers cheering her on,” Dickens recalled.
The Bootstrapper program provided eligible active-duty military personnel the opportunity to attend college for 12 months to complete their undergraduate degrees. Dickens was one of them.
Attending Culver-Stockton helped prepare Dickens for a military career that would take him around the world and eventually to the Pentagon.
This Veterans Day, we are looking back on his military career, his time at Culver-Stockton and the service members who sacrificed their lives for their country.
Finding Opportunity Through Education
Dickens enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in July 1971 at 18 years old, during the Vietnam War. During his basic training in San Antonio, Texas, he was selected to attend technical school, where he studied management analysis, statistics, technical writing, probability and forecasting. He earned 15 college credits through his technical training while serving in the military.
“Somehow my AF Qualifying test score overrode my high-school records and enabled me a second chance,” Dickens said.
He eventually attended Culver-Stockton College through the Bootstrap Program, completing his bachelor’s degree at 21 years old. He credits much of the opportunity to Bays and her effort to make higher education accessible to military personnel, particularly Vietnam veterans.
“Because of Olga’s vision of educating Vietnam veterans and enriching the student mix, she transformed my life and many others who had no other access to advanced education,” Dickens said.
Dickens also remembers the students and faculty who welcomed him to campus and supported him throughout his education.
After graduating from Culver-Stockton, Dickens continued his military career and received his commission in 1978. He served at Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany, where he worked in management analysis and mobility logistics, before moving to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to work in acquisition, system costs analysis and the B-1 bomber program.
Dickens also served as a headquarters staff program analyst for Air Force inspection programs and was later selected to attend Harvard University through another military education program.
He later worked in satellite and electronics program management at Hanscom Air Force Base before taking a position at the Pentagon. At the Pentagon, Dickens served as an execution manager for the Air Force budget, working on projects involving the Air Force chief of staff, secretary of the Air Force and other senior leadership.
“I never could have imagined this journey at 18 that C-SC made possible,” Dickens said.
Following his career in the military, Dickens continued working with military organizations through private consultation.
He spent nine years working with the Marine Corps Headquarters at Quantico, Virginia, conducting technical analyses of weapons systems. He also spent six years managing Marine Corps business for Booz Allen Hamilton, working with the Marine Corps and the Navy.
In 2015, Dickens began operating his own full-time business, Analytical Government Solutions, LLC., a veteran-owned small business. His company provides training in electronic warfare, advanced radar systems, information technology and hypersonic aircraft performance.
Outside of his business, Dickens also serves as chairman of the board for a chapter of the National Corvette Restorers Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring Corvettes.
A Lasting Connection To Culver-Stockton
Throughout his military career and professional accomplishments, Dickens has continued to recognize the role Culver-Stockton played in his success.
Dickens returned to campus in 2025, more than 50 years after attending C-SC through the Bootstrap program. Although the campus had changed over the years, Dickens said the welcoming atmosphere and commitment to students remained the same.
“Culver-Stockton has come a long way in my 50 years since the visit with the beautiful campus additions and renovations,” Dickens said. “But what hasn’t changed is the professional excellence of the staff, the friendliness and ‘home’ feel that everyone there supports the students’ goals and path, and the friendliness of the students that made me feel at home as well.”
Dickens also remains grateful to Bays, the faculty and the students who supported him during his time at Culver-Stockton. His visit reinforced his appreciation for the College and the opportunities it provided him.
While Dickens has accomplished much throughout his military and professional career, he is quick to recognize the sacrifices of others who served.
“I have always said that I owe far more to my country than the blessings I received,” Dickens said.
Having entered the Air Force during the Vietnam War, Dickens remembers the many service members who were sent overseas, including those who never returned home.
“I also want to pay a tribute to my fellow servicemen, many of whom served in Vietnam who in many cases made the greatest of all sacrifices” Dickens said. “I was honored to be among them. God Bless them all!”
This Veterans Day, Dickens hopes to honor those who served while recognizing the people at Culver-Stockton who helped make his education possible.
Contact the Marketing & Public Relations Office, at pr@culver.edu or 573-288-6000 ext. 6728 for more information.
NOTE: A number that appears immediately after a person’s name (i.e. Jane Doe ’18) is a reference to the year that person earned their bachelor’s degree from Culver-Stockton.