97th Operations Group member retires after 36 years of civil service

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Levin Boland
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Elva Whitehead will be retiring after 36 years of civil service on Nov. 3, 2014.

Here are five things you should know about Whitehead.

1. Whitehead was born and raised in upstate New York and graduated from Troupsburg Central High School in 1973. Soon afterward the Air Force moved her family to Texas, where she began working at a community center at Reese Air Force Base as a recreational aid making $2.82 an hour.

2. Whitehead has served in many career fields throughout her 36 years of service. After serving as a recreational aid, she was moved to the billeting office. Then to the manpower office and finally to the Medical Group where she held six different positions over ten years until she was promoted to contracting officer technical representative for Tricare. According to Whitehead, her ten years in the MDG at Reese were the most challenging years for her in the Air Force.

3. She is now the resource advisor for the 97th Operations Group. As the Group resource advisor, Whitehead is responsible for overseeing the OG budget and assisting with four different squadron budgets. During her service, she was recognized multiple times for her work ethic. Out of those times, she was featured in the Reese AFB newspaper in 1992 and was the Altus AFB resource advisor of the year in 2002. 

4. Her hobbies have stayed the same over the years, including gardening, reading, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Whitehead has two children - Johnny and Tina, and nine grandchildren.

5. Whitehead has had a long and successful career in the U.S. Air Force. She had a few words of advice to anyone who would like to stay in for 36 years. "Stay positive and have lots of patience," said Whitehead. "That part is essential if you want to stay in as long as I have."