Moses Lake grad promoted to Air Force colonel
Col. Kelly Goggin/courtesy photo<br> Col. Kelly Goggin stands in front of the KC-135 she navigated on. Goggin was promoted to colonel on April 30.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Col. Kelly L. Goggin is down-to-earth and can admit that tracking down her kids’ shoes can “derail a whole morning.”
The 1984 Moses Lake High School graduate handles being a mom to her four children, ages 5 to 18, and a military career “one day at a time,” she says.
But she’s apparently found the right mix. She was promoted to colonel on April 30 during a special ceremony.
Goggin, 43, credited her husband, Jeff, an Air Force KC-135 pilot, for his help, in an interview with the Columbia Basin Herald.
“Jeff’s been awesome,” she says. “You can’t do as well as you can in a professional career without a really good husband to help you out.”
Jeff’s military service helps because they can quickly communicate with shorthand.
Like other couples, they’ve worked to find the right recipe for childcare.
After trying different day care options, bringing a nanny into their home worked the best, she says.
At work, Goggin is one of seven division chiefs handling Congressional inquiries at the Pentagon.
The inquiries range from someone not being allowed into the Air Force, to someone being kicked out. She’s also heard from a constituent asking why a medal wasn’t awarded.
“It really runs the gamut,” she says. “We make sure they get an answer … The sole purpose is to provide that liaison to Congress, so we have a consistent Air Force message.”
Before arriving at the Pentagon, she says her deployment was a highlight of her career.
She had 160 people working for her and handled multiple roles managing people in difficult situations.
“On the flip side, if you can do great things for people, you get to share in that,” she says. “I think being a commander is a lot of fun; you have a direct impact in what’s going on with them.”
All of her bosses served as mentors to her in one capacity or another.
“Some help me get jobs,” she commented. “Even bad bosses are good mentors, because you learn not to do what they did.”
She relies on her Christian faith to carry out her tasks.
“My faith means a lot to me. I think in the military it helps. It’s helped me,” Goggin said.
What’s kept Goggin serving is her love for her country.
“I can’t think of a better way to serve,” she says. “I can’t think of a better legacy for our kids, than to say I worked to protect our freedom. I think it’s a good legacy to leave.”
She encourages other young people to serve their country because the opportunities for women are just as great as the opportunities for men.
After 24 years, Goggin speaks well of her experience competing in the Miss Moses Lake pageant.
She was first runner-up to Honey Castro in 1984 and later returned to win the title in 1986.
“Even if you don’t win the pageant, there’s a lot of to be said for women who learn to walk in heels,” she said.
Conducting yourself during an interview, being quizzed on current events, practicing interview skills and learning how to handle uncomfortable situations are benefits of competing in the pageant.
One of Goggin’s high school friends, Moses Lake School District Superintendent Michelle Price, attended her promotion ceremony.
Price was on personal vacation at the time.
“It was such an honor to be able to share that celebration with her,” she says.
Price also visited Goggin at the Pentagon.
“It’s such a different world than what we live in,” she says. “She’s with the congressmen and congresswomen. I was in awe watching her work in the Pentagon.”
“It just goes to show, if you really want something in life, you can go after it,” Price says.
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