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By John Higgins, PEO IEW&S Public Affairs

“What do you say to 39 years of service?” Maj. Gen. Kirk Vollmecke, the Program Executive Officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Signal (PEW IEW&S), asked of a packed conference room at the retirement of Karen Foley, a Program Analyst with PEO IEW&S.

“I would like to thank you. I wish you all the best as you start a new chapter in your life and career. You should always remember that your contributions for almost four decades have had a direct impact on the ability for our men and women in uniform to conduct their missions and return home safely.” is what Vollmecke concluded.

Foley started her five decades spanning career at the Social Security Administration in Woodlawn, Md., in a typing pool at age 18 right out of high school, in 1977. After six months in 1978, she transferred to the Army and moved up the ranks over years as doing more secretarial work and then as a budget assistant then a program analyst, and finally a senior program analyst managing a multi-billion dollar budget for PEO IEW&S from 2011 to her retirement.

Vollmecke presented Foley with several awards including her retirement certificate, a letter of appreciation and a Civilian Service medal. Tina Cote, the Business Management Division Chief of PEO IEW&S, presented Foley with a coin box containing the coins of the Program Offices under PEO IEW&S.

Vollmecke also presented Foley’s father, John Strole, with a certificate of appreciation both for his service in Korea and for his support of his daughter’s storied career.

“You’re all an amazing team; my second family,” said Foley to her colleagues “As Winnie the Pooh says ‘How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?'”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]