At 81 years old, Dr. Gerald “Jerry” Raybeck’s career might look like a winding road but to him, it has always been a straight path guided by service, curiosity, and joy. He’s a Vietnam veteran and retired United States Air Force colonel, worked in film production, became a dentist and is now an educator in the classrooms and clinics of the UNLV School of Dental Medicine. 

“Driving to work, it’s like going to a day of sunshine,” he said, adding, “People ask me, why are you still working?” Raybeck said. “And I say, you know, this is not even work. I just love going to school and teaching students. With 35 years of practice, I can give a lot to them.”

Raybeck’s service began in 1966, when he joined the Air Force after completing his degree in radio, television, and films at the University of Kentucky. His early career took him around the world as a film production officer. “I was a combat vet in Vietnam,” he said. “I did a lot of flying over North Vietnam with the fighters’ backseat, did a lot of motion picture work with the service, and a lot of the things we shot were actually on national TV.” 

After his first decade in the Air Force, Raybeck felt a new calling. Inspired by a friend, he returned to school for a degree in dentistry through the Air Force’s health professions scholarship program. His Air Force career spanned 30 years, during which he commanded a hospital and multiple dental squadrons across the globe; he was also the first dentist ever selected to become a medical team chief with the Air Force Inspection Agency. His team covered 50 healthcare system inspections in a two-year period. He called it “an overwhelming responsibility that turned out surprisingly well.”

Today, Raybeck’s military background blends seamlessly into his work with dental students. He takes preparation seriously, often spending hours building lectures and refining presentations. “I’m kind of obsessive-compulsive,” he admitted, “but in a way that helps students. They know they can expect organization and high standards from me.” 

But structure does not come at the expense of connection and meeting people at their level. “This is where you begin healthcare,” he tells his students. “You have to connect with the patient first. Once you’re there, dentistry becomes straightforward.”

Though he doesn’t often emphasize his veteran status, Raybeck recognizes the impact it has had on his life and teaching. From flying reconnaissance over Vietnam to running hospitals in Europe to guiding dental students in Las Vegas, his story is one of service in different forms, a reminder that service and joy can span an entire lifetime. “Times have changed,” Raybeck said, “but I feel I’ve been so blessed with everything life’s had. And every day I walk into the school, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be."

Kris Milliken contributed to this article.