6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JUNE 7, 2017
CG Air Force servicewoman gets promotion to Colonel
Chatterbox
By Betty Kaiser
Congratulations are in order for newly appoint-
ed USAF Colonel Kirsten M. Palmer. A promo-
tion ceremony and reception for her pinning was
held on March 31, 2017, in the Airmen’s Hall of
the Pentagon in Washington D.C. It promoted
Kirsten from a Lieutenant Colonel to a full Col-
onel. Among the 80 guests attending the ceremo-
ny were her husband Col. Roger Lang, daughter
Addyson and other family, including her parents,
Ron and Linda Palmer, of Cottage Grove.
In her remarks after the pinning of the new in-
signia she said, “When I graduated from Cottage
Grove High School, Oregon, and headed to the
Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, I never
dreamed my life and career would turn out this
well.” With graduations coming up this month, it
seems only fi tting to post Kirsten’s most recent
promotion as motivation for today’s graduates to
dream big!
Longtime Grover’s and readers of this column
will remember that Kirsten was always ambi-
tious and patriotic. During high school, she was
student body president, a scholar and an athlete.
She served as a U.S. Senate Page for Senator Bob
Packwood. Upon graduation, she enlisted in the
U.S. Air Force and was accepted by the Air Force
Academy in Colorado. She received her commis-
sion from the Academy in May 1995. Later she
would earn a Master’s of Science degree in Re-
source Strategy.
Climbing the ladder in any profession is ardu-
ous. We all begin at the bottom and work our way
to the top. I have watched with awe as Kirsten
climbed the military ladder upon her graduation
from the Academy.
Her resume includes stations in fi ve Major
Commands (MAJCOMs) fi lling a variety of fl ight
line and back shop positions. Her weapon system
experience includes C-130s, A-10s, C-9s, C-17s
and KC-135Rs.
Currently, she is a student at the prestigious
Eisenhower School for National Security & Re-
source Strategy, Ft. Leslie McNair, Washington,
D.C. The school is focused on developing strate-
gic thinkers to operate in executive environments
developing national security strategy and policy
with an emphasis on evaluation and managing na-
tional resources.
If all that is as Greek to you as it was to me,
it became most impressive after I looked up the
responsibilities of a Colonel at military-ranks.org.
A full Colonel is just above Lt. Col. and below
Brig. General. It is the highest Field Offi cer rank.
A Colonel is typically responsible for command-
ing a wing (unit) of 1,000 to 3,000 airmen of low-
er ranks. The rank insignia for Colonel is a silver
eagle. They are sometimes informally referred to
as “Full-Bird Colonels” to differentiate between
them and Lt Colonels. It is the 22nd rank in the
USAF. Go, Colonel Palmer!
If you’re a young person considering serving
your country in a military career here’s a few
stats about the Air Force. Their website says that
they have a total of 315,725 active duty person-
nel. After basic military training —Start strong.
Finish stronger—the work includes blue collar
jobs, clerical, technical, administrative and pro-
fessional areas. Becoming a pilot requires a time
commitment, a bachelor’s degree, meeting offi cer
qualifi cations, fl ight school and more. The aver-
age length of service is 14.5 years.
Is it worth it? The last time I spoke with Kirsten
she said, “My plan was to stay in the Air Force as
long as I was having fun. Twenty-fi ve years later
I’m still having fun! The opportunities provided
by joining the military are endless and the educa-
tion benefi ts are incredible in exchange for serv-
ing my country.”
One of the Air Force mottos is to Aim High.
That’s good advice for all of today’s graduates
whatever you choose to do in life. Congratula-
tions to all!
Pet Tips 'n' Tales: Cat Calling
By Mary Ellen "Angel Scribe"
For The Sentinel
"They say a person needs just
three things to be truly happy
in this world: someone to love,
something to do, and something
to hope for." Tom Bodett
When Bea moved to Cottage
Grove, in 1954, she subscribed
to the Cottage Grove Sentinel.
She's followed the community for
63 years through the pages of the
paper.
"When the newspaper arrives,"
said Bea, "I immediately turn to
my favorite column, Pet Tips ‘n'
Tales."
So, just for fun, to honor our
biggest fan, my Silver Persian,
Whyspurr, and I made a surprise
visit to Bea's home.
"Oh, what a beautiful cat," ex-
claimed Bea. "Look! Whyspurr
loves the old chair that all my
cat's scratched on."
Indeed, Whyspurr made a bee-
line for the cat chair, jumped
onto it and nestled in for her visit
with Bea. The chair's sides hung
in shreds, like a feline trophy of
love, marking all the hard work
of Bea's purr-evious cats over the
decades.
Fur purr-caution we left Bea's
cat, Harvey, outside. Harvey
would have a hissy fi t about
Whyspurr, Animal Planet's fa-
mous swimming kitty, sharing his
mother's love and "his" chair.
"Ten years ago, I heard Harvey
before I could see him," said Bea.
"He was starving and painfully
meowing. Not having a cat, I
went to the fridge and found him
some meat. He was so hungry, he
swallowed three bites before tak-
ing another breath!"
Bea asked her neighbors if any-
one knew who his owners were
and was upset to learn that they
were on vacation, for two weeks,
and had left the cat with no food!
Upon the owners return they said
they did not want Harvey back.
Bea was purr-plexed as to why.
"Harvey is such a nice cat that I
can't imagine anyone not wanting
him in their lives," said Bea. "He
is a blessing in mine and every-
one's friend."
Imagine her surprise when her
"friendly" cat brought home a pet
raccoon! The two animals sat on
her porch for two weeks sunning
and chatting together. Then one
day, Mr. Raccoon did not return
Kassadee Hilgendorf
and hasn't been seen since.
Also, Harvey loves to cat-chat
on the phone! One day for fun,
her daughter put her phone's re-
ceiver to her cat's ear and Bea put
hers to Harvey's ear. The cats me-
owed back and forth, then looked
around for the other cat. The la-
dies had no idea what the cats
were talking about, but the phone
felines were fully engaged in a
hiss-terical conversation.
Kind-hearted Harvey used to
have the unusual habit of bring-
ing home other people's cats! This
left Bea trying to fi gure out "who
to return to whom". Her neigh-
bors' joked, "Is your cat missing?
Harvey probably took it home to
Bea's. Look there."
"Thankfully, Harvey gave up
his habit of trying to adopt other
cats," confesses Bea, "after I re-
turned all of his friends."
And why have a pet when you
are in your 90's? "When I am feel-
ing ill or resting," explains Bea,
"Harvey never leaves my side,
placing one gentle paw on me -
comforting me."
Fifteen years ago, her neighbor
had three dogs, "the boys" that
Bea dogsat. One day the meter
reader left the gate open and "the
boys" escaped, just as the dog
catcher drove by.
Bea called to the boys, and they
came right to her.
"I hurried them into my bed-
room with instructions, ‘Sit.
Don't move! Don't make a sound!'
The doorbell rang. I answered
the door, and the dog catcher
asked if I ‘owned three dogs'. I
honestly pleaded innocent and
he left. I went back into the bed-
room and there sat the three, still
as stone, fugitives that I was har-
boring, saving their 'mom' a $180
'Get out of jail' fee!"
TIPS
"I read in an earlier column to
use a man's black pocket plastic
comb to groom a cat," said Bea,
"Harvey never liked metal combs,
so I tried this 'tip' and he loves his
new black comb."
Tell us about your crazy pet!
angelscribe@msn.com
"Follow" Pet Tips ‘n' Tales on
Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/
PetTipsandTales
Humane Society for Neuter/
Spay Assistance Program. (541)
942-2789
The Rotary Club of Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove
High School
Born:
December 12th, 1999
Is pleased to announce the recipients for the
2017 Rotary Scholarships
Parents:
Ron & Wendi
Hilgendorf
Grandparents:
Dorwin & Ian
Savannah Palis
Cottage Grove
High School
Born:
August 23, 1999
Parents:
Danny & Candace
Solesbee
Grandparents:
Lowell Solesbee, Sally
Solesbee, Bruce &
Nadyne Lamb
Hannah Albrecht
Seth Chambers
Erin Foreman
Madisen Howland
Brett Ollivant
Garren Taylor
Josh,
B-bo, Son
We are so proud of
you and all of your
accomplishments
past, present
& future.
Congratulations
on a job
well done!
Way to go!
Love your family,
Daddy, Momma,
KK, Baxter, Ali
and misc pets.
Sara Witty
Rotary Club of Cottage Grove