MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. – While some might make a more concerted effort to turn off light switches or unplug unused electronics, one Prattville resident conserves energy by applying it to his morning commute. For more than two decades, Prattville resident Maj. David Dawson, Maxwell's Air Force Officer Training School director of staff, has made the personal choice to ride his bicycle to work.

"After graduating high school I went on a two-year missionary trip to the Dominican Republic," Dawson said. "While there I didn't have a car, and I rode my bike everywhere. It became habit for me, so I continued to ride when I came back."

After returning to the United States, Dawson continued to use his bicycle while attending college in his home state of Utah for mechanical engineering.

"I was never more than five or six miles from where I went to school, so I felt that I didn't need a car," he said. "Besides, at that point, I was a living on a conservative college student budget and was always looking to save money where I could."

After college, Dawson crossed into the blue and arrived at his first dutystation, Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.

"At that point I had already been commuting with my bike for eight years," he said. "The weather in Panama City is perfect for biking and it continued to save me money. Also, the Air Force values a culture of healthy choices and biking was just another way to relieve stress and make sure I found time to exercise throughout the day."

Dawson rides his road bike from Prattville to Maxwell, making his daily roundtrip mileage approximately 20 miles.