Dazzling Daughter
Kathy attended Indiana University (IU) where she earned a bachelor's degree in physics and was a distinguished graduate of Air Force ROTC. Upon graduation from IU, she was commissioned as an Air Force officer and was assigned to the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station near Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was there she met her future husband, Roger Roberts, who was also an Air Force Officer. They were married while both were still assigned to NORAD. At their next assignment, which was Ft. Meade, Maryland, Kathy earned her Master of Science in Space Technology from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.
Kathy Roberts
Katherine “Kathy” Eileen Roberts
Brigadier General, Ret USAF
DOB: June 25
​​Her subsequent 12 Air Force assignments included acquisition of space systems, space operations, and staff work. Specifically, she was selected as a Manned Spaceflight Engineer, was assigned to a mission, and selected to fly on the Space Shuttle as a payload specialist. She also served as a program manager of a major acquisition program, stood up a material wing, and has served on the staffs at major command and unified command headquarters, Joint Staff, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Kathy was recognized for her excellence with the following: Defense Superior Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Defense Meritorious Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster, National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
After 32 years, Kathy retired as the Director, Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition for the National Reconnaissance Office at the grade of Brigadier General. After retiring from the Air Force, Kathy and her husband moved to Seattle, then to Lacey, and then to Panorama at Lacey, Washington, near her parents. While in Seattle, she established her own aerospace consulting business. In her pseudo-retirement, she is also on the board for a non-profit corporation and actively pursuing her avocation: Kathy composes music and is a member of the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle, organized in 1891.
Three generations of women from the Sparks family are members of the Sacajawea Chapter in Olympia. Kathy followed her mother, Caryl Shaw Sparks, and her niece, Jennifer Sparks, into the DAR. Their patriot is 2nd Lieutenant Robert Dwiggins from Maryland.