USAF Colonel, McLean Resident Joins First Lady for State of the Union Address Tonight

U.S. Air Force colonel and McLean neighbor will sit with First Lady Michelle Obama at President Obama’s State-of-the-Union address at the Capitol tonight.
 
Col. Ginger Wallace is an Air Force intelligence officer who has led airlift and intelligence operations during Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, PROVIDE RELIEF, UPHOLD DEMOCRACY, ALLIED FORCE, ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM, according to the White House.

She lives in McLean, with her partner of over a decade, Kathy Knopf.  In December, Knopf attended Col. Wallace’s promotion ceremony and participated in the “pinning on” of Col. Wallace’s rank, marking the first such event reported following the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the policy that kept gay and lesbian military members from serving openly,  the White House said.

Col. Wallace is training to deploy to Afghanistan in the spring through the Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program. The program trains military and civilian personnel from all services to serve as a core cadre to build trust between the U.S. military and local populations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to Defense News.

  Col. Wallace is among four other people either active or retired from the military or married to a service member will also sit with Michelle Obama at tonight’s address, according to the Air Force Times.

They include Retired Navy Capt. Mark Kelly is an astronaut, best-selling author and an experienced naval aviator who flew combat missions during the Persian Gulf War, according to the Air Force Times. He is also the husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz, who was shot in the head in an assassination attempt in 2011.