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50 years of service achieved

  • Published
  • By Michael P. Kleiman
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. --  While growing up in Laredo, Texas, Vita Kelley aspired to become a teacher.

During five decades of federal employment, she has instructed and mentored thousands of military members and civilians at four installations, while working in the training and force development career fields.

On Tuesday, Kelley, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center's chief of the Force Development Division, Manpower and Personnel Directorate, will be recognized for 50 years of civil service in a ceremony at the AFNWC.

"My dad was my inspiration to join the federal workforce. He worked at Laredo Air Force Base as an aircraft mechanic, and then transferred to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, and then back to Laredo AFB, where he worked his way up to section manager. A couple of years after graduating from Laredo Martin High School, I began my federal career two days after Christmas 1959, at Laredo AFB, working as a secretary to the personnel director. I started as a General Schedule-4 employee," said Kelley. "I eventually met my husband at Laredo AFB, and after spending two and a half years as a secretary in south Texas, we moved three times in four and a half years to Sheppard AFB, Texas, Clark Air Base, Republic of the Philippines, and Kirtland AFB."

Kelley was a reporting stenographer in the Personnel Branch at Sheppard AFB and then a secretary again at Clark AB, earning promotions to GS-5 and GS-6, respectively. After arriving in New Mexico, Kelley took three years off to raise a family.

Rejoining civil service in September 1968 as a GS-3, she worked as a clerk-typist for the personnel branch at the former Kirtland AFB, then on the current installation's west side. Less than a year later, Kelley became an employee development clerk/assistant in the Civilian Personnel Branch's Civilian Training Section, a position she held for more than 10 years. After Kirtland AFB merged with Manzano and Sandia Bases in July 1971, her office moved from Building 497 (then Air Force Special Weapons Center - now Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate) to the east part of the combined base. From September 1979 to May 1989, Kelley advanced to employee development specialist.

"I love training. I started out as a GS-4 as an employee development clerk in August 1969. Fortunately, in the last 43 years, I have been able to do what I love and earn promotions to GS-14," Kelley said. "Force development is my passion. I like to see what we can do to assist our military members and civilians reach the top. I want them to excel and help them to be the best they can be."

In the 1990s, Kelley led Civilian Personnel's Training Branch, and then directed the 377th Mission Support Squadron's Education and Training Flight until June 2009. For the next four months, she guided the 377th Force Support Squadron's Force Development Flight. Kelley has served in her current position since October 2009.

She identified three achievements as high points.

"First, during my 13 years as chief, Education and Training Flight, our office received the Air Force Materiel Command's 'Best Education Services Center' in 1998 and then again from 2000 to 2004. Second, securing funding for the Civilian Tuition Assistance Program for three straight years in the past decade. Due to current budget constraints, the program unfortunately lost funding, but I hope it will come back. Finally, organizing and implementing the Civilian Leadership Program, which features a session per month for eight months," said Kelley.

Although accomplishing the rare mid-century milestone of public service, Kelley said she has not contemplated retirement or working anywhere else. Kelley said she believes the best is yet to come for her Kirtland AFB family and herself to reach their potential.

"My first supervisor always told me to hitch my wagon to a star. I have tried to live that philosophy daily," Kelley said.