NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE FORT WORTH, Texas -- Chief Master Sgt. Angela Rooney, 301st Fighter Wing Logistics Readiness Squadron senior enlisted leader, held her retirement ceremony at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas on June 4.
Rooney is set to retire in October 2022, after 25 years of military service. She has served with the 301 FW since 2016, initially serving with the 301st Mission Support Group as the career assistant advisor.
As Rooney reflected over her ceremony, marking the closing of her military service chapter, she had a message to share with her wingmen.
“To my 301st Fighter Wing Team, we went through a global pandemic, a historic snowstorm, multiple deployments, annual tours, and the loss of one of our own,” said Rooney “It has not been an easy time, but we made it through. We persevered and I am honored to have served alongside of you.”
Lt. Col. Farrah Schluter, 301 LRS commander, presided over the retirement ceremony and offered the audience comments on Rooney’s career.
“They will tell you that being a reservist is one weekend a month, two weeks a year—but, it is actually more than that,” said Schluter. “In actuality, after 25 years, it is 9,125 days of dedicated military service where Chief Rooney has served her time and has influenced thousands of Airmen’s careers.”
Rooney concluded her retirement ceremony thanking her family and sharing a personal sentiment from her career.
“I did not get to where I was going without people in my corner,” said Rooney. “People showing me the way, guiding me and providing feedback to me. There is no way I would be here today without the leadership of some of the most amazing mentors and without my family by my side.”
After a moment of pause, Rooney offered an excerpt from her deployment journal.
“I will leave you with this, it is the last line in my deployment journal,” Rooney added. ”While I sat on the shores of Spain and listen to the waves crashing against the shore, with the moonlight shining down upon me, with many memories in the past, another chapter in my life closes. Another begins.”