SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Lt Col Molly King, 618 AOC Deputy Director of Operations, was visited by General DeVoe this month who personally thanked her for her 30 years of military service in light of her upcoming retirement.
"It's a little bitter sweet," King said. "But I'm grateful to have known so many wonderful people and be part of so many special missions."
Growing up in Belleville, IL, King first became interested in military service as a high-school student when she began searching for the next big opportunity in her life.
"I wanted something different, to be challenged," she recalled. "I wanted a career with a purpose."
Drawn to the purpose-driven mission of the military, King applied to the Air Force Academy and was later admitted to the class of 1991. Shortly after her commissioning, she was sent overseas for her first assignment at Osan Air Base, South Korea, where she served as an Imagery Analysist. After spending a year in Korea, King moved to Germany to work for the Air Intelligence Squadron as an Intel Analyst.
Despite all the fun she was having overseas, King came home to Scott Air Force Base in 1999, where she received her first introduction to the (then) Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC). Due to family circumstances, King made the decision to set aside her active duty status and continue serving at the AOC as an Air Force reservist.
"Being a reservist was an incredible opportunity for me, because it allowed me to take care of my family's needs while also serving in the military," she said.
King described working on the floor as an "incredibly unique environment," that draws on the experience of people from all backgrounds and career fields to make incredible things happen.
"It's been a really special part of my life," King said. "There's just so many things in the world we get to touch here."
During retirement, King intends to spend quality time with her husband and six children, along with tending to her garden and chickens.
"Maybe I'll return to the AOC as a GS employee," she teased. "We'll see."