Col. Caroline (Bolls) Miller '90: An unexpected turn to an exciting career
Miller's distinguished and decorated military career has taken her to assignments in Qatar and across the U.S. from Alaska to Washington, D.C., but as a student she hadn't planned to pursue a military path.
by Sheri Grimes
Pacific Review, fall 2016
As she was graduating from high school near Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, where her father was stationed, Caroline (Bolls) Miller '90 wasn't planning to seek out a military career.
Little did she know, less than a decade later she would be back at Elmendorf as a green second Lieutenant on her first assignment, just beginning a distinguished military career that has taken her to Qatar and across the United States, from Alaska to Washington, D.C., and points in between.
When it came time to look for colleges, Miller decided to focus on California since her parents were planning to retire in Southern California. Their tour of college campuses included University of the Pacific, which turned out to be a perfect fit for Miller.
"I loved the campus, how it looked and how it felt," said Miller. "It was so family-oriented."
She began as a biochemistry major but discovered an interest in experimental psychology while taking courses with late psychology professor Doug Matheson, and ended up switching her major. After Pacific, where Miller was active in the Delta Delta Delta sorority, she went on to earn a master's degree in experimental psychology from American University in Washington, D.C. After working for a while in a research lab at Walter Reed Medical Center, she decided to pursue a different career path.
That was when her thoughts turned to the military. She entered Officer's Training School at age 26 and never looked back.
Since then, Miller has been on a rising trajectory of increasing responsibility and leadership, achieving the rank of colonel in October 2013. Since July 2015, Miller has been the commander of the 633rd Air Base Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) in Virginia, the longest open active-duty Air Force installation. She commands three groups, providing installation support to more than 18,000 Air Force and Army personnel, and is also responsible for providing mission-ready airmen supporting combat operations worldwide.
Her previous assignment was at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as commander of the 379th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, the Air Force's largest air expeditionary wing. They went into surge operations in Afghanistan and supported early anti-ISIS efforts in Syria, among other efforts. Miller, who held posts at JBLE on two previous occasions, said she feels privileged to be back at this time, as the base celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.
At its essence, she says, the military is about its people and bringing them together from different backgrounds and parts of the nation. That's where Miller says her background in psychology has served her well. Leading both Army and Air Force troops, she has to understand each mission from both the Army and Air Force perspectives, and works with troops to help them both prepare for and return from combat.
And while Miller never expected to end up in the military, today she is a strong advocate for that career path.
"I see the opportunities for young people to learn a skill, to learn leadership and teamwork. To be exposed to people from different backgrounds and cultures and learn how to work together. To be a part of something bigger than themselves," she said.
"And the camaraderie is something that lasts forever."