Senior Master Sgt. Kathleen Anderson is retiring from the U.S. Air Force but she has aspirations to serve her country another way.

She wants to run for political office.

She visited Kingfisher last week accompanied by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe’s Northwest Oklahoma field representative Ryan Sproul through a program called the Department of Defense Skill Bridge Internship.

It allows for transitioning service members to intern or shadow a corporation, company, or office while they are still serving.

“For my specific situation I had reached out to Senator Inhofe’s office expressing my dream to run for office after I retire and a request to be brought through the program. About two months later I received an email back saying that the senator was willing to let me shadow his state office representatives for the month of June.

“This opportunity has been life changing,” she said. “I’ve been able to take part in meetings I would have never been at otherwise, met influential and wonderful people, and helped better shape my path towards my ultimate goal of running for office.”

Anderson was introduced to the Times and Free Press and local civic leaders by Sproul, who is well known here. Sproul is a Fairview native and a rancher-farmer in private life.

The Air Force job from which she is retiring has an impressive title: superintendent, 97^th Wing Staff Agencies, 97^th Mobility Wing, Altus Air Force Base.

Anderson enlisted in the Air Force March 2001 after high school graduation and graduated from the Financial Management and Comptroller Apprentice Course at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi in April 2003.

She has risen steadily through the ranks: Airman First Class, May 4, 2001; senior airman, March 4, 2003; staff sergeant, Dec. 1, 2005; technical sergeant, April 12, 2011; master sergeant, Dec. 1, 2015, then senior master sergeant, Oct. 1, 2019.

She has also earned a master’s college degree in the process.

She met and married Jonathan “Beau” Black during her Air Force career Beau spent 12 years in active duty security forces and has been in the Air Force Reserves for the last five years.

They met while stationed in Greenland . They have two children, Kathryn Victoria “Vic” Black, 4, and Robert “Wyatt” Black, 2.

Anderson said she believes her Air Force service would be valuable in public service because, “my dedication to service the last 20 years has helped me connect with people from all over the world with all sorts of different backgrounds.

“However, what I believe brings people together the most is our shared humanity and desire to do well for ourselves, our families, and our communities.”

She has received the following awards and decorations: Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Air Force Commendation Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters) and Joint Service Commendation Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters)

Other achievements include: 2005 Airman of the Year, 8th Fighter Wing 2005 Financial Management Airman of the Year, Pacific Air Forces 2012 Financial Management Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Air Mobility Command 2014 Non-commissioned Officer of the Year, 21^st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo., 2014 Financial Management Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Air Force Space Command 2017 Financial Management Superintendent of the Year, Air Mobility Command.

She had eight overseas deployments during her career.

In 2008 Anderson deployed to Kosovo in support of NATO where she was the Balkan Area of Responsibility Disbursing Agent responsible for 225 thousand Euros.

While assigned to Kosovo she assumed the responsibilities of the Financial Analyst, a Company Grade Officer position. In that capacity she formulated and executed a 170 million dollar budget. As a Technical Sergeant she deployed in 2011 as the Resource Management Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge for Special Operations Command and Control Element, Horn of Africa Djibouti.

In her role she led a four person joint team that oversaw 30 million dollars in contracts and a 600 thousand dollar travel program. Due to a manning gap Sergeant Anderson had to assume the responsibilities of the Financial Management Director for a month, a Field Grade Officer position.

During this time she was able to work with Special Operations Command Africa to fund a Special Operation Forces housing facility contract plan culminating in the overall savings of 1.3 million dollars.

On her last deployment in 2014 Sergeant Anderson was the Financial Management Advisor for Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan.

Again, due to a manning shortfall she had to fill the Comptroller position where she was the engine behind 7.1 million dollars which supported over three thousand clandestine operations. Her work culminated in being awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

Other assignments include

• April 2003 – July 2005, Accounting Technician, Defense Finance and Accounting Service-Omaha Field Site, Offutt AFB, Neb.

• July 2006 – November 2007, Financial Analyst, 65th Comptroller Squadron, Lajes Field, Azore, Portugal.

• November 2009 – June 2014, Quality Assurance Manager, 62^nd Comptroller Squadron, Joint Base Lewis McChord Field, Wash.

• December 2010 – July 2011, Resource Management Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, Special Operations Command and Control Element Horn of Africa, Camp Lemmonnier, Djibouti.

• September 2013 – February 2014, Disbursing Agent, Special Operations Joint Task Force Afghanistan, Camp Vance, Afghanistan.

• June 2014 – July 2015, Resource Manager, 821st Air Base Group, Thule AB, Greenland.

• July 2015 – August 2017, Flight Chief, Financial Services, 99^th Comptroller Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.

• August 2017 – October 2019, Superintendent, 48t^h Group Staff Agencies/Comptroller Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, N.C.

• November 2019 – Present, Superintendent, 97^th Wing Staff Agencies, Altus Air Force Base.