Covington native Rhonda Y. Coles was honored Sept. 3 by the United States Air Force on her retirement after 20 years service in the military.
A special retirement ceremony was held at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D. C., with Lt. Col. Vanessa M. Grant, commander, 11th Contracting Squadron, presiding at the service.
At her retirement, Technical Sgt. Coles was assigned as NCOIC, Base Operations Support Flight, 11th Contracting Squadron, 11th Mission Support Group, 11th Wing, Bolling Air Force Base.
She joined the 11th Contracting Squadron in January of 2007.
She was born in Covington Nov. 19, 1967 and graduated from Covington High School in 1986.
She enlisted in the U. S. Air Force and attended basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. She completed Medical Services Specialist courses at Sheppard AFB in Texas in May of 1990.
Sgt. Coles then completed Phase II Medical Services Specialist Course at Davis Monthan AFB in Arizona in August, 1990.
Her first assignment was with the 20th Medical Group at Upper Heyford Air Force Base in the United Kingdom where she provided care to patients. In September of 1992 she was reassigned to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany where she performed shift leader duties on the Medical Surgical Ward.
In August 1996, she was reassigned to Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey where she served as a medical technican assisting with deliveries and nursery duties. In May of 1998, Sgt. Coles was reassigned to Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and served as assistant NCOIC of the blue and gold teams and the Dermatology Clinic.
In February of 2004 she retrained into Contracting and was assigned to Langley AFB as a Contacts Specialist. In January of 2007 she was reassigned to Bolling AFB in Washington, D. C. where she spent two years as the NCOIC of the Base Operations Support Flight.
She has one daughter, Kennedy.
Following remarks by Lt. Col. Grant, Sgt. Coles received retirement and decoration presentations. A reception was held following the official retirement ceremony.