Panther of the Week: Ms. Araceli Searles Published Feb. 10, 2016 By 460th Space Wing Public Affairs BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Name: Ms. Araceli "Celi" Searles Unit/Job title: 460th Force Support Squadron operations officer Length of Service: 33 years Hometown: Manila, Philippines Hobbies: Cooking, sewing and flower arrangements Unique fact: Certified as an accreditation commissioner, National Family Child Care Association and she's a master certified food executive Searles joined Air Force Civil Service in 1983. Her entire career has been in Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR), services and force support. She has served as a recreation specialist, child and youth specialist, child development director, Air Force family child care specialist, family member flight chief and business flight chief. She also held a key staff position at Headquarters Air Force Services Agency, conducting program evaluations of child development, youth, school-age, and family child care throughout the Air Force for Department of Defense certification and licensing. She was vectored by the Air Force Career Program through Air Force Competitive Development and placed as the 460th FSS operations officer at Buckley Air Force Base in May 2010. Searles has done outstanding work for the 460th FSS and Team Buckley since her arrival, and she continues to set the bar incredibly high. As an operations officer, she oversees the squadron's self inspection program, exercise planning and other day-to-day activities and operations. She's also in charge of the Mile High Honor Guard, supervises unit training and leads Readiness and Plans, which includes the wing's total force accountability process. Additionally, Searles serves as the wing's mortuary officer, a critical duty that requires extraordinary dedication. Sadly, her mortuary officer duties recently fell close to home when a 460th FSS Airman and her spouse lost their newborn child. Searles rose to the occasion, as she always does, and led her mortuary team through every aspect of remembrance, ensuring sensitivity, compassion and dignity. She exemplifies integrity first, service before self and excellence in all she does, every single day. - Mr. Albert Wooley, 460th Force Support Squadron director