June drill at the 932nd Airlift Wing= retirement showtime!
Lt. Col. Shirley Burke officially retired
in June after serving 28 years that
included active and Reserve duty.
She will tell you it has been a full and
rewarding military career.
As a school girl growing up in
Alabama, Colonel Burke loved
science and dreamed of being an
aeronautical engineer. After high
school, she applied to the Air Force
ROTC program during her first year
at college.
“I tried ROTC, on a ‘look and see’
basis. I wasn’t thinking about a long
career in the Air Force at the time,”
she said. But, she completed four
years of training and received her Air
Force ROTC commission in May
1980 upon graduating from Alabama
State University.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in
computer information systems.
The “butterbar” Burke began her
active duty career in data automation
at Langley AFB, VA. At Langley, she
was busy learning her profession and
making life-long friends.
“You always remember your first-duty
assignment. Also, you don’t forget
the people who helped you along the
way.” She still writes and keeps up
with many of
her former
Langley friends
and coworkers.
Colonel Burke
credits a former
commander,
retired Brig.
Gen. Walter
Jones, as her
career mentor.
“He demanded a lot and expected
you to know your job. At the same
time, he would share his knowledge.”
She spent many years and several
assignments in the old Air Force
Communications Command. Colonel
Burke has served as OIC of plans
and programs and chief of
communications-maintenance. Other
assignments include chief of the
2069th Communications Group at
Nellis AFB, Nevada. Colonel
Burke also served as plans and
programs officer at AFCC at Scott.
After leaving the active duty Air
Force, she joined 932nd AW in
January 1993. Based on Colonel
Burke’s prior experience, she was
selected as chief of the 932nd
Communications Flight. Several
years later, the flight was eliminated
due to a reorganization.
“We were a close-knit group and it
was a lit