A former longtime South Whidbey resident, Senior Master Sgt. Kelly Henderson, has retired from a 34-year career in the U.S. Air Force.

Henderson, who spent nearly 25 years living in Clinton and Langley, was honored at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on June 5 with various commendations and certificates, including his  fifth Meritorious Service Medal.

The military award is presented to service members who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service.

Henderson enlisted in 1982 and spent the majority of his career as a loadmaster on C-141 and C-17 aircraft. The last three years, he also served with the Inspector General Inspections Office.

During his flying career, Henderson accumulated over 5,100 mishap-free flight hours while participating in multiple world-wide deployments in support of Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, according to a news release. During this time he flew over 90 missions including the transporting of 18 wounded soldiers out of Afghanistan.

In 2005 he completed his ‘bucket list’ by participating in Operation Deep Freeze, which saw him on his seventh continent, Antarctica.

As a civilian, Henderson has worked for Boeing for the past 28 years. He is currently a senior manager on the 787 Dreamliner Program and has relocated to Charleston, South Carolina. His wife, Maria, and children are expected to follow soon.