From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lorraine K. Potter
Lorraine K. Potter
Lorraine K. Potter is a former Chief of Chaplains of the lence Award with oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Overseas
United States Air Force and was the first female chaplain Short Tour Service Ribbon and the Air Force Overseas
in the United States Air Force. Long Tour Service Ribbon with oak leaf cluster.
Biography References
A native of Warwick, Rhode Island, Potter is an ordained [1] "Chaplain (Major General) Lorraine K. Potter".
Baptist minister.[1] She is a graduate of Keuka College, United States Air Force. http://www.af.mil/
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and Central information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=6794. Retrieved
Michigan University. Her husband, Robert, is also a for- 2011-10-02.
mer Air Force chaplain, who reached the rank of [2] "’I never liked being first’". National Council of
Colonel.[2] Churches. http://www.ncccusa.org/friends/
lorrainepotter.html. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
Career Persondata
Name Potter, Lorraine
Potter initially inquired about serving as a military chap-
lain in 1972. She sent a letter to the Chief of Chaplains Alternative
of the United States Air Force at the time, Roy M. Terry. names
The response stated that one of the qualifications for a Short de- United States Air Force general and Chief
chaplain in the Air Force was that they had to be male. scription of Chaplains of the United States Air
Several weeks later, she received a letter stating that the Force
Chief of Chaplains had dropped the gender requirement, Date of
and that if her church gave her an endorsement, it would birth
be possible for her to become an Air Force chaplain. She
received the endorsement and eventually was commis- Place of
sioned an officer in 1973. birth
In 1992, while stationed at Bolling Air Force Base, she Date of
was promoted to Colonel. As was she the first female death
chaplain to reach that rank, then-Air Force Chief of Staff Place of
Merrill McPeak organized a special ceremony at The Pen- death
tagon to commemorate the occasion.
From 1994 to 1995, she served as Executive Director
of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board before serving as
Command Chaplain of the United States Air Forces in
Europe. She also served as Command Chaplain at Head-
quarters Air Education and Training Command and
briefly returned to Bolling Air Force Base before she was
named Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air
Force with the rank of Brigadier General in 1999. In 2001,
she was promoted to Chief of Chaplains with the rank of
Major General and held that position until her retirement
in 2004.
Awards she has received include the Defense Meri-
torious Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf
cluster, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters,
the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster,
the Outstanding Unit Award, the Organizational Excel-
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lorraine_K._Potter&oldid=458151383"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lorraine K. Potter
Categories:
• People from Warwick, Rhode Island
• United States Air Force generals
• United States Air Force officers
• Women in the United States Air Force
• Military chaplains
• Baptist ministers from the United States
• Recipients of the Legion of Merit
• Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
• Central Michigan University alumni
• Living people
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