OC-ALC commander speaks during first-ever virtual Technology Conference

“If you’re thinking about a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, consider the Department of Defense…we’ve got a place for you.” That’s the message the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex Commander recently conveyed to a group of students.

Brig. Gen. Jeff King spoke to the Oklahoma Technology Student Association on April 14, 2021, during their first-ever virtual state leadership conference.

King shared many of the STEM and technology career opportunities available at Tinker Air Force Base with more than 18,000 Oklahoma TSA members in attendance. The Oklahoma TSA is a career and technology student organization dedicated exclusively to students in grades six through twelve who are enrolled in STEM classes.

“I like to call our Complex here the biggest family business I have ever seen, because we have multiple generations of Oklahomans working in the Complex,” said King.

King said STEM touches everything that every technician does every day. Opportunities for a STEM related career at Tinker AFB are plentiful and don’t necessarily have to be done in uniform. In fact, the OC-ALC is home to over 10,500 dedicated employees, with the largest number being civilians, working in STEM-related jobs to overhaul and repair aircraft and various avionic components.

Tinker is the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma, with a workforce footprint stretching across 44 of the state’s 77 counties. The base has an annual payroll of more than $1.7 billion and a state economic impact of nearly $4 billion.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to share with the bright STEM minds of tomorrow,” said King. “It is important to empower them to see what Tinker and the Air Force can offer for their futures.”