Is he active duty or reserve or active guard/reserve? His biography is fairly vague.
Ogonowski eyes race to succeed Meehan By Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff | April 21, 2007
The race to succeed US Representative Martin T. Meehan has attracted another potential Republican candidate in Jim Ogonowski of Dracut, the brother of an American Airlines pilot whose plane was hijacked Sept. 11, 2001, and flown into the World Trade Center. Ogonowski, 49, is an Air Force lieutenant colonel scheduled to retire next month after a 28-year career. His brother, Captain John Ogonowski, was piloting American Airlines Flight 11 when terrorists commandeered the Boston-to-Los Angeles flight.
Jim Ogonowski said the personal tragedy influenced his choice to explore a run for the Fifth Congressional District seat. Serving in Congress would give him a voice on national security policy, he said. "Of course, 9/11 will have a significant impact on my decision, just as growing up on the farm has a huge impact on my environmental views," Jim Ogonowski said in a telephone interview.
Jim Ogonowski, who has never held elected office, said that the Iraq war, taxes, and healthcare are top issues in a long list of national and local concerns. He is a full-time member of the New Hampshire Air National Guard who commands a refueling task force. He said he is conferring with local Republican leaders and expects to announce his decision next week. "I think I'm an individual who can go to Washington and make a difference," he said. "I would take my Air Force values with me: integrity, service before self, and excellence in all we do." Jim Ogonowski said he would not give an opinion on the war before his retirement. "I still wear the uniform of my country," he said.
A 1979 graduate of the University of Lowell, Jim Ogonowski spent five years of active duty in the Air Force before beginning his full-time career in the Guard. He has taken over management of his late brother's farm, White Gate Farm, in Dracut. Meehan, a seven-term congressman, will become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Jim Ogonowski said he has a personal relationship with Meehan and would not comment on any political differences between them. "The race is not about Congressman Meehan; it's about the future," Jim Ogonowski said.
Brian Dodge, executive director of the state Republican Party, said Jim Ogonowski would make a "very credible candidate." "He has very personal ties to issues of national security, both with his career and his family situation," Dodge said. "He has the stomach for this, and we're excited about this." Other Republicans who are considering entering the race include Mayor Michael Sullivan of Lawrence and Fred Smerlas of Sudbury, a former National Football League player. Six Democrats have announced their intention to run. They include Niki Tsongas of Lowell, wife of the late US senator Paul Tsongas; Lowell city councilor Eileen M. Donoghue, a former mayor of the city; state representatives Barry R. Finegold of Andover, James B. Eldridge of Acton, and James R. Miceli of Wilmington; and longtime party activist David O'Brien of Concord. Meehan's wife, Ellen Murphy Meehan, is chairwoman of the Tsongas campaign.
© Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/04/21/ogonowski_eyes_race_to_succeed_meehan?mode=PF