Kim MacFarlane will be guest speaker for the Memorial Day Service Sunday, May 24, 2 p.m. in Arbovale United Methodist Church. The service will be continued at the Arbovale Cemetery and will include a salute by the Pocahontas County Honor Guard.
CMSgt Kim S. Macfarlane retired in 2022 from the Air Force as the Superintendent at 854 Combat Operations Squadron, Reserve Associate Unit (RAU) to the 616 Operations Center (OC), Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, Texas. The Operations Center mission integrated full spectrum cyberspace operations with Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations and capabilities in support of the Air Force and Joint Service Requirements.
CMSgt MacFarlane entered the United States Air Force, Active Duty, in June 1981. Her initial career field was Air Traffic Control Operator. After nearly 10 years of active duty, she had a short break in service before she joined the Air National Guard. In the Air National Guard she cross trained first as a Heavy Equipment Operator, then was asked to be the Air Traffic Liaison for the 162nd Combat Communications Group. Following that she became the First Sergeant of the 149 Combat Communications Squadron, and later the 216 Operations Support Squadron, both within the 162nd CCG. After nearly seven years as a First Sergeant, she cross trained again into her current career field of Cyber Systems Operations, where she served with the 216 OSS as Chief of Space Operations at Vandenberg AFB, California. Following that assignment, she traveled to San Antonio, Texas, augmenting the then 624 Operations Center, first as the Strategy Division Superintendent, and then as the Mission Support Superintendent, and Unit Reserve coordinator. Subsequently she was hired as the 854th Superintendent, from which she retired after 39 years of service.
After retirement, she made the decision to head for the mountains, and made a home in Marlinton. Keen on mountain biking, hiking and nature, she knew no one here before settling in. Like many veterans, she is happiest hiding out in the woods but manages to keep busy; acting as President of the Pocahontas County Artist Guild, volunteering at the Opera House, hitting the Greenbrier River Trail and surrounding roads on her mountain bike, hiking local trails, and taking bass lessons at Allegheny Echoes old time and bluegrass music camp.
She couldn’t be more pleased to have found a wonderful community to call home.
