Many people knew Justin Faiferlick as a member of the Fort Dodge unit of the Iowa Air National Guard.

Still others knew him as their martial arts and fitness instructor.

Regardless of what role they encountered him in, Faiferlick left a deep and positive impression on people.

“Justin is one of those people you look at and say “I hope my son can be like him one day,” said retired Lt. Col. Dick Breitbach, who was the commander of the Iowa Air National Guard’s 133rd Test Squadron in Fort Dodge.

“Justin touched so many lives, and he made the world a better place,” he added.

The Fort Dodge man who made such an impression on so many died of cancer Saturday at 57.

Visitation is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. today at Laufersweiler Funeral Home, 307 S. 12th St. The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, 239 N. 11th St.

Faiferlick served his county in the Air Force and Iowa Air National Guard.

In 2014, he established Faiferlick Taekwondo, Martial Arts, Self Defense and Fitness LLC. Then in 2020, he started Next Edge Performance.

In 2022, he moved both businesses into the same building at 326 S. 25th St.

Long before any of that, he was a student at St. Edmond High School.

After graduating, he enlisted in the Air Force.

He picked the Air Force because he wanted to be a combat control operator. That is an airman who is among the first people into a war zone. The operator’s job is to clear a landing area and then direct aircraft into that area.

Air Force combat control operators work closely with the Army, Marine Corps and Navy to form what the military calls a joint team.

Faiferlick completed his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Then he went to Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi for air traffic control school.

His next stop was an Army base, Fort Benning in Georgia, for paratrooper training.

For someone who admitted being afraid of heights, parachuting out of an airplane is a pretty intimidating concept. Faiferlick quickly mastered the skill, however, and ended up making numerous jumps, including some at night and others at low altitudes.

“Jumping out of an airplane is just a different experience when you trust your equipment,” he told The Messenger during a 2021 interview.

“I don’t know that it cured my fear of heights,” he added.

After completing jump school, he moved to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, which became his regular post.

He served in the Air Force from 1987 to 1989.

Upon returning home to Fort Dodge, he joined the local Air National Guard unit.

In 1998, he went to officer school at McGee-Tyson Air Force Base in Tennessee, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Back at the Fort Dodge squadron, he moved to the maintenance department, and eventually became chief of maintenance.

As a member of the Iowa Air National Guard, he was deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq,, Italy, Norway, Qatar and South Korea,

“Justin was a quiet and steady force in the 133rd Test Squadron,” Breitbach said. “He was one of the first people I met when I joined the squadron. The first thing that I noticed about Justin was his smile and positive attitude. No matter what task was given to him, he always excelled.”

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the 133rd Test Squadron was one of the first units called to active duty.

“Justin was first in line to play a role in the squadron developing a solution to get the United States air defense capability back on track,” Breitbach said. “He spent countless days and nights at the unit spearheading test efforts to be sure the new command and control system was perfect.”

He said when the system was put into use, Faiferlick played a key role in developing a training program for the rapid fielding of the system across three separate air defense sectors and Northern Air Defense Command.

Breitbach noted that Faiferlick began his career as an enlisted airman, and retired as a lieutenant colonel.

“That was accomplished because he was a determined leader who understood how to effectively get the job done,” he said. “He accomplished all of this while ensuring he fulfilled an even more important role as a dedicated husband and father.”

In 2014, Faiferlick began teaching martial arts classes at night at Fort Frenzy.

“They were wonderful partners for us to start with,” he said in the 2021 interview. “About six months later we were growing enough that we wanted our own place.”

In 2015, he moved the martial arts business into a building at 567 S. 25th St. which once housed an electrical contractor.

Next Edge Performance, a business offering ways for athletes to recover and rehabilitate, opened in 2020.

Faiferlick also maintained his connection to St. Edmond Catholic School. He and his family were supporters of the annual St. Edmond Golf Tournament and the Friends of the St, Edmond Ball.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Justin, a devoted member of the St. Edmond community,” said Susan Laifersweiler, development director for St. Edmond Catholic School. “Throughout the years, he served the school in many roles — as an alumnus, school board member, golf coach, and loyal supporter — but his proudest role was being a father and grandfather to Michael, Kelsey, and now his grandchildren who are beginning their journey through the St. Edmond system.”

“Justin took great pride in his family and in sending his children through the Catholic school system that he himself attended,” she added. ” He generously gave his time and talents to St. Edmond through his service on the school board and by sharing his love of golf with our student-athletes as a coach, helping make our school an even stronger community. Justin was well known for building others up and helping them grow in confidence.”