Major Sallie Louise Duncan: Age: 42

Major Sallie Louise Duncan is on active duty with the U.S. Space Fore, and she has served 15 years. The United States Space Force is the newest branch of the U.S. military, established in 2019 to protect American interests and ensure freedom of operation in, from and to space. It is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping space forces to provide space capabilities to the joint force and defend U.S. and allied interests in the space domain. Her Space Force Specialty Code (SFSC) is 13S. She has received the following medals, commendations, awards and ribbons: Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air and Space Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Services Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Air and Space Outstanding Unit Awar with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air and Space Longevity Service Award with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Air and Space Training Ribbon.

Major Duncan was born to her parents, J.R. and Betty Skelton in Macon, GA, and she was reared there. She graduated from Perry High School in May 2001, and she then attended Brewton parker College for two years. She went on to attend college at Wright State University in Ohio from 2005 to 2010 where she graduated with a bachelors in English and Commissioned into the United States Air Force.

Major Duncan’s military service began October 21, 2010, where she was a student at Vandenberg Air Force Base. After completion of training, her first duty station was during September 2011 to September 2013 as Crew Commander for the 10th Space Warning Squadron at Cavalier Space Force Station, North Dakota which monitors satellites and objects in space, and tracks potential missile launches against North America. Next, she served as an OPIR (Overhead Persistent Infrared) Crew Commander for the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Schriever Space Force Base, CO, for three years during 2013 to 2016. During 2016 to 2018, she served at Vanderberg Space Force Base, a space launching base launching space craft to the Western Ridge that also performs missile testing. While there, she first served as an instructor of undergraduate space training and then as an OUST (Officer Undergraduate Space Training) Development Manager. Her next assignments were for four years at Buckley Space Force Base, CO, during 2019 to 2022 as the OPIR Mission Director and then during 2022 to 2023 as Assistant Director of Operations. Major Duncan has been serving at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, since July 2023 where she has served as the Division Chief of Future Operations, and now as the Deputy A7/A9 Academic Administrator for ACSC (Air Command and Staff College).

Major Duncan has been married to her husband, Matthew, for 15 years, and they have three children. She is a member of First Baptist Church in Wetumpka, AL, where she sometimes plays the bass guitar, and she is a member of Atagi Chapter of DAR.

Major Duncan’s conclusions about what serving in the U.S. Military means to her are: “Serving in the military has been an experience that has made me appreciate my family and their support. It has also shown me that as big as the world is, there are a lot of things that we have in common with people from other countries that makes defending our freedoms and our allies that much more important. I’ve learned that people I’ve served with all come from different walks of life, and getting to wear this uniform with them is an honor and a privilege. This isn’t an easy job, but I don’t regret signing up and wearing the uniform.”

Her conclusions about how she would like people to remember her are: “I hope that when people think of me, they remember me as an optimistic person who believes in them and encourages them to never give up on themselves and believes in them. I expect a lot from myself and from our leadership, and I have always done my best to do right by everyone around me. I hope that they remember me as someone who encouraged good morale and was willing to be a sounding board when they needed it.”