Major General Kathleen D. Close, Commander, Ogden Air Logistics Center,
Hill Air Force Base
A Past and Current View of Women Serving in the Military and their Role

Hill Air Force Base provides worldwide logistics management, engineering, supply, contracting, and depot maintenance for a wide variety of aircraft and munitions related platforms. General Close is responsible for four wings at the base: the 75th Air Base Wing, 84th Combat Sustainment Wing, 309th Maintenance Wing and the 508th Aerospace Sustainment Wing.

General Close was commissioned in December 1978 through the Air Force ROTC program at Colorado State University. She has directed three aircraft maintenance units; served as squadron maintenance supervisor in two units; and held a variety of staff positions at the Major Command, Air Staff, and Secretariat levels. These include assistant executive officer to the Air Force Chief of Staff; Director of C-5 Maintenance at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center; Headquarters Air Force Material Command Inspector General at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; and Director of Maintenance, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations, and Mission Support at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

The general has commanded a combat logistics support squadron, a logistics group, and an air base wing. She holds both master aircraft maintenance and missile maintenance badges.

EDUCATION
1978 Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
1981 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
1986 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1987 Master of Science degree in aeronautical science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
1994 Master of Science degree in resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1979 - July 1979, student, Aircraft Maintenance Officers Course, Chanute AFB, Ill.
2. July 1979 - December 1982, officer in charge, Avionics Branch, 363rd Component Repair Squadron; later, officer in charge, 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 363rd Aircraft Generation Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.
3. December 1982 - August 1985, maintenance supervisor, 388th Component Repair Squadron; later, officer in charge, 16th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 388th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
4. August 1985 - July 1986, maintenance supervisor, 86th Equipment Maintenance Squadron; later, officer in charge, 526th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 86th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
5. July 1986 - December 1988, Chief, Manpower and Personnel Requirements; later, executive officer to Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, West Germany
6. December 1988 - December 1989, Deputy Chief, Commander in Chief/Joint Programs Issues Branch, Programs and Resources Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
7. December 1989 - May 1991, Chief, Legislative Liaison Logistics Branch, Secretary of the Air Force for Legislative Liaison, Washington, D.C.
8. May 1991 - August 1993, assistant executive officer, Air Force Chief of Staff, Washington, D.C.
9. August 1993 - July 1994, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
10. July 1994 - July 1996, Commander, 652nd Combat Logistics Support Squadron, McClellan AFB, Calif.
11. July 1996 - July 1998, Commander, 12th Logistics Group, Randolph AFB, Texas
12. July 1998 - September 2000, Director, C-5 Maintenance, Warner Robins ALC, Robins AFB, GA
13. September 2000 - January 2002, Inspector General, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. January 2002 - July 2003, Commander, 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland AFB, NM
15. July 2003 - August 2005, Vice Commander, Oklahoma City ALC, Tinker AFB, OK
16. August 2005 - June 2006, Director of Mission Support, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
17. June 2006 - June 2007, Director of Maintenance, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
18. June 2007 - present, Commander, Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah

BADGES
Master aircraft maintenance badge
Master missile maintenance badge

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Dec. 22, 1978
First Lieutenant March 15, 1981
Captain March 15, 1983
Major Dec.1, 1989
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 1993
Colonel Jan. 1, 1998
Brigadier General Aug. 1, 2004
Major General Nov. 2, 2007 

(Current as of November 2007)