58th SOG commander feels at home at Kirtland

  • Published
  • By Lee Ross
  • Nucleus editor
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Col. Shelley Rodriguez said her family's work ethic has served her well over her 23-year Air Force career.

In July, Rodriguez was named commander for the 58th Operations Group, part of the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland. She grew up in Dodge City, Kan., where her father works as a veterinarian.

"It's the Midwest stereotype, working until you die. You choose a job and do that until you are physically unable," she said. "This is what I do, it's not about retirement. I think I'll stick around as long as the Air Force will have me. The day I become ineffective is the day that I retire."

Rodriguez spent the majority of her career as a pilot at Kirtland. Prior to coming here, she worked for the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the senior aviation advisor for counter-terrorism operations. She was working with civilians and learning about the political side of working for the Air Force, she said.

"I was not at all expecting to come in as a group commander," she said.

After receiving the news she'd be coming back, she hung up the phone at her office in the Pentagon and could hardly contain her excitement, she said.

"I did my own little celebration in my little gray cubicle," she said.

Stepping into this command -- where she manages a $3.2 million budget and supervises a training squadron, operations support squadron, MV-22 training program and staff division -- was very comfortable for her, she said.

The group is a world-class operation that, among other things, produces the world's best pilots and crews, Rodriguez said.

"The ability to impact people in this operations group is tremendous, and these people are the ones that go forth and impact the Air Force mission," she said.

Many of the people trained at Kirtland are in the field -- given dangerous missions,  tremendous responsibility and making decisions that could have dire consequences -- within weeks of graduation, she said.

"We teach to a standard that is mission ready," she said. "It's hard to make a world-class organization better, but I will do my best."

Rodriguez said she is most excited for the opportunity to help others build their careers.

"The impact of a group commander should be on the people," she said.

She has felt that impact in her own career, she said. The commander for the entire 58th Special Operations Wing, Col. Dagvin Anderson, served in Rodriguez's position from July 2011 to July 2013, she pointed out.

"He was very much focused on preparing people for the next phase in life," she said. "He's somebody that I looked up to in my career, so it is extremely humbling for me to be in this command."