Biography: U. S. A. F. Major Kathleen E. Killen, 1998, Winn Parish, LA. Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 [Archivist Note: please be sure to read the update submitted by Kathleen Killen at the bottom of page.] ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: April 15, 1998 Winn Parish Enterprise-News American Major Kathleen E. Killen Honored Major Kathleen E. Killen, daughter of Beatrice Killen and the late Walter Killen of Winnfield was honored Friday, March 13, 1998 with a retirement ceremony at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. Major Killen entered the United States Navy on August 9, 1974. After completing basic training at Orlando, Florida, she attended Ocean Systems Technician "A" School in Key West, Florida. She was promoted to Petty Officer Third Class upon graduation. Her first permanent duty station was in Wales, United Kingdom. She was promoted to Petty Officer Second Class prior to transferring to Naval Facility Eleuthera, Bahamas in 1976. Major Killen separated from the Navy in 1979 to attend Louisiana Tech University using the GI Bill. In March 1983 she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. She then joined the U. S. Air Force and attended Officer Training School in San Antonio, Texas and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in June 1983. After OTS, she obtained a B. S. in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Ohio, and was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1985. In 1987, she was promoted to Captain. Her subsequent tours included Los Angeles, where she worked on the Global Positioning System, a return to Ohio to obtain an M. S. in Systems Management, and Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, where she was promoted to Major and assigned as the Program Manager for the Air Force Fitness Program. Major Killen's awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, and also Organizational Excellence. Also included in her awards is the Navy Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal with one star, Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon with four oak leaves, and the Air Force Training Ribbon. Major Killen retired as the course director for the Acquisition Excellence course at the Systems Acquisition School, Air University, Air Force Institute of Technology, Air Force Education and Training Command, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. She has two sisters, Barbara Killen of Metairie, and Peggy Raybon of Houston. 26 Nov 2001 - UPDATE FROM: Kathleen E. Killen Associate Research Engineer Texas Center for Applied Technology Texas Engineering Experiment Station Texas A&M University System killen@tamu.edu "I have an oak leaf on my Meritorious Service Medal, my Longevity Ribbon has the four oak leaves, not the Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon--it only has one oak leaf. You can put me under the military records area too if you want. I'm considered a Viet Nam Era Veteran, but only for the purposes of getting a job. Usually, I'm just a regular Veteran."