Keesler medic chief retires after 30 years

Published Jan. 25, 2012
By Steve Pivnick
81st Medical Group Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Chief Master Sgt. Debra Strickland ends her 30-year Air Force career during a formal retirement ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Keesler Hospital Don Wylie Auditorium. Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Dan Wyman, Air Combat Command command surgeon, will officiate.

Chief Strickland is 81st Surgical Operations Squadron superintendent. She also serves as the senior 81st Medical Group health services administration enlisted member as well as Air Education and Training Command health services administration functional manager.

The chief, who hails from Kahului, Hawaii, enlisted Aug. 16, 1982, and has served as a medic her entire career. Her first assignment was with the 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany. She also has had assignments to Hickam AFB, Hawaii; McChord AFB, Wash.; Osan AB, Korea; and Hurlburt Field and Eglin AFB, Fla. She arrived at Keesler in March 2009 from Eglin, where she was superintendent of the 96th Aerospace Medicine Squadron.

She said that the event she considers the most memorable from her three decades of Air Force service was being selected for promotion to chief in 2006.

"I really didn't expect to make it at that time," she said I was in special operations which tends to be a male-dominated field -- and I was a medic as well. It was a total surprise!"

Strickland is married to Senior Master Sgt. Scott Stickland, 81st Medical Operations Squadron, and has a 23-year-old daughter, Deveney, who recently graduated from the University of South Florida, Tampa.

Following tomorrow's ceremony, the chief plans to take a few days off before returning to the medical group as a contract employee in the 81st Medical Support Squadron readiness flight. Her official retirement date is May 1.

Summing up her career, the chief said, "My goal was to give back to the Air Force what it has given me. I believe I've managed to do that."

30 year medic retires