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Book Cover for: Blue Skies and Long Runways: The Adventures of an Air Force Nurse, Kathleen Lux

Blue Skies and Long Runways: The Adventures of an Air Force Nurse

Kathleen Lux

Kathleen Lux hails from a family lineage of proud military service, and joins the United States Air Force in 1977 to add, as she describes it, a little adventure to her life. Now retired as a colonel after thirty years in nursing -- often serving as a flight nurse -- Lux reveals how she is forced to grow up quickly if she hopes to remain, and excel, in the Air Force. In this coming-of-age collection of humorous, candid, and provocative vignettes, Lux holds nothing back as she recalls caring for patients immediately after a terrorist attack in Germany, handling an emergency egress from a burning aircraft, and even refusing a direct order from a four-star general. At times the weight of her decisions and the inescapable memories of what she's witnessed seems overwhelming. Not until Lux, herself, receives a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress does she allow the journey of self-forgiveness and healing to begin.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Milspeak Books, Milspeak Foundation, Inc.
  • Publish Date: Nov 11st, 2025
  • Pages: 262
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.00in - 6.00in - 0.59in - 0.78lb
  • EAN: 9798991173124
  • Categories: MilitaryWomenMedical (Incl. Patients)

About the Author

Lux, Kathleen: - Kathleen's memoir is her first published book. She is a thirty-year Air Force nurse veteran and a Professor Emeritus in nursing from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio where she lives with her cat, Selleck (named after Tom, the actor). She loves to travel the world and has already visited 72 countries, playing bridge, and cross stitching.

Praise for this book

"Each story in Kathleen Lux's memoir can stand on its own as a good read, yet the entire book provides a terrific portrait of an Air Force nurse who can write both hilarious and tragic stories that grasp one's imagination and illustrate a well-lived life."

Sylvia S Odom BM, MA, PhD, Retired. Chief, Adult Services. Henrico Mental Health Center. Richmond, Virginia

"This memoir is a great read that I was sorry to finish. It is a collection of humorous and sad stories framed around her military nursing career which will bring your emotions to the surface. To put herself out there for the world to see is courageous. At least one of her stories will stay in your memory long after you finish the last page."

Kathryn H., RNC, Retired. Certified in Maternal-Infant Nursing with 40 years of

hospital staff nursing experience

"In her memoir, Blue Skies and Long Runways, through heartwarming, moving, life-changing stories, Kathleen Lux celebrates her career as a woman, a nurse, and a colonel in the U.S. Air Force-which was quite an achievement in the '70s, '80s, and '90s!"

Barbara Joan Wiley, BS, MA, PhD, Retired. Teacher, trainer, and author