116th Chief of Staff retires, but leaves a legacy

Story by Maj. Renee Massey
116th ACW Public Affairs

It began in 1976, when a young petite woman born and reared in Tulsa, Okla., surprised her parents by enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. That decision, more than 30 years later, has produced a remarkable career, that has marked her as the first woman in Georgia Air National Guard history to be promoted to the rank of colonel.

Colonel Lois Stark, 116th Air Control Wing chief of staff, retired Oct. 30, and leaves a “rewarding career” in the Georgia Air National Guard.

She entered the Air Force as an enlisted behavioral scientist assigned to Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., to research experiments carried out during flight simulations. During this time, she also earned a master’s degree in psychology and then separated from the military for a short time.

Upon re-joining the Air Force in 1981, she was commissioned as a missile launch officer, and was assigned to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., to work with the Titan II missile program.

“What I remember distinctly about missile training is being asked are you prepared to kill over 100 million people? That was a realistic question at the time,” said Stark. “This was an atmosphere where there was no room for error--it was during the Cold War and this was top secret work.”

The Titan II was the largest intercontinental ballistic missile in the Air Force inventory at that time, and remained on alert from 1962 to 1987. The missile had an estimated target range of 5,500 miles. The Air Force had 54 missiles in its inventory with three separate bases housing 18 missiles each.

“I supervised a four-person crew. A typical shift was about 27-hours. My responsibility was to hold the launch key. As a precaution, it takes two people turning keys to launch a Titan II missile,” said Stark. “It was a unique experience. I truly believe the missile program helped end the Cold War.”

The colonel’s next assignment landed her on the teaching faculty of the Air Force Academy in Colorado. She was a member of the behavioral science department and also a counselor for cadets struggling with the decision to of whether or not to leave the academy.

In 1987 she joined the Georgia Air Guard’s 116th Fighter Wing as an equal opportunity officer.

“People jokingly referred to me as ‘the bulletin board captain’ because one of my responsibilities entailed the standardization of all boards in preparation for an inspection. It was sort of like being the webmaster in today’s environment since there weren’t many computers then,” Stark explained.

For the next several years, she worked as the top military personnel specialist for Georgia and then as the executive support staff officer to the Air Guard commander. This position provided many unique insights into the various missions within the state, and an opportunity to witness military and governmental leadership up close.

With the move of the 116th FW to Robins in 1995, she moved her family to Middle Georgia and accepted the position of 116th Mission Support Group commander. She was responsible for six uniquely different squadrons.

“This was a challenging job, but I quickly learned to place trust in my commanders, which meant grooming and selecting the right people.” said Stark. “I’m so very proud of the leaders I had working for me.”

As the 116th Air Control Wing chief of staff, she also is proud of the teamwork and talented professionals within the staff offices who performed exceptionally well during an operational readiness inspection and a recent unit compliance inspection.

Asked what is means to be the Air Guard’s first female colonel, she humbly flashes a smile and shrugs her shoulders.

“It’s about being qualified to do a job and oh by the way, you happen to be a female…that’s how I see it,” she said. “I leave the military with no regrets. In looking back, it’s about taking care of people - they are the most valued resource and they are what you will miss the most after retirement.”