WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- When Master Sgt. Larissa McGee joined the Air Force 24 years ago as a supply specialist, Uncle Sam attached her to the 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England.
Fresh from high school, she didn’t know at the time that the Air Force would turn out to be her career. After three years at Mildenhall, during which she moved throughout the different supply sections, played on the United States Air Forces in Europe softball team, and – most importantly – gave birth to her daughter, McGee returned stateside to Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.
From there, she bounced back “across the pond” to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, for three years before she had the good fortune to get stationed at Whiteman AFB. Here, she spent the last of her nearly nine years on active duty and then crossed over to the Reserve to spend more time with her family without the active-duty logistics deployment tempo.
McGee worked as a Traditional Reservist for a year, and then spent 12 years as an Air Reserve Technician in both the Maintenance Operations Flight and the LRS. She spent her final three years back on TR status, and looked forward to one final annual tour before retirement.
“It was a bittersweet means to an end,” McGee said “I was always planning to go on the last AT no matter the location. When I found out it was RAF Mildenhall I was beyond excited.” This trip offered her a rare chance to revisit an important part of her life and career.