He went on active duty in January 1976. He attended USAF Basic Training on Lackland Air Force Base (AFB) in San Antonio, Texas.

After graduating from Basic Training, he went to Chanute AFB in Rantoul, Illinois, for Weather Observing School. Weather was his career field of choice.

After graduating Observer School, his first assignment was Offutt AFB in Bellevue, Nebraska. He worked in the Satellite Operations section processing weather satellite data. In September of 1976, Kerry married Jane Hacker daughter of Clifford and Anna Mae Hacker. They had three children, Wendy, Penny, and Nicholas, while stationed on Offutt AFB.

Kerry went back to Chanute AFB in 1981 to attend Weather Forecaster School.

In January 1983, Kerry was assigned to Detachment (Det) 4, 20 Weather Squadron (WS) on Hickam AFB, Hawaii, where we worked as a counter forecaster and later as Assistant Station Chief.

After 4 years on Hickam, Kerry was assigned to Det 10, 15 WS on McGuire AFB, New Jersey, where he again worked as a counter forecaster and later assumed the role of Chief Weather Station Operations (CWSO).

In 1991, Kerry volunteered for a one-year remote assignment to Det 19, 30 WS on Camp Humphreys Army Base, South Korea, where he was the CWSO. Jane and the kids were not able to accompany him on that assignment and moved back to Bellevue, Nebraska, while Kerry was in Korea.

After the one-year in South Korea, Kerry was assigned to the 436 Operational Support Squadron (OSS) Weather Flight (OSW) on Dover AFB, Delaware, where he assumed the role of Flight Chief.

In 1995, Kerry, Jane, and family were assigned back to Offutt AFB, Bellevue, Nebraska.

Kerry retired from the USAF in June of 1996 in the rank of Senior Master Sergeant (E8).

Kerry and Jane (as of 2023) live in Bellevue, Nebraska.