Homecoming Honoree: Lt. Col. (ret.) Darcy Maloney
Distinguished ROTC Alumnus - Class of 1986 & 2012 (B.B.A., A.A.S.N.)
Darcy Maloney enjoyed her first time at Angelo State so much that she came back not once, but twice.
An Air Force brat who claims nearby Wall as her hometown, Maloney initially planned to attend ASU for two years and then transfer to a larger university. But that never happened.
“College requires you to develop time-management skills,” she added. “You also learn to organize and prioritize. When I finally figured it out, I realized it was one of the most important things to learn, and I carried that into my career.”
After graduating with her business degree and being commissioned in the Air Force through ASU’s ROTC Detachment 847, Maloney served seven years on active duty as an intelligence officer before joining the Air Force Reserves and being stationed as an instructor at nearby Goodfellow AFB.
When the Air Force began allowing reservists to activate as ROTC instructors in 2001, Maloney jumped at the chance to return to ASU and Det. 847.
“I absolutely loved it,” Maloney said. “It was a bit surreal at first because as a cadet, you’re only allowed to use the back door of the detachment area. So the first time I came through the front door, I kept thinking I was going to get yelled at. I had to remind myself that I was a real officer and an instructor.”
“I loved the cadets,” she added. “I loved their youth and all their fresh-faced enthusiasm. It makes you feel young. It was also wonderful that so many of my former professors were still here.”
“I’ve been tied to ASU since 1979, and the closeness never goes away.”
Maloney also coordinated ASU’s first ROTC Reunion in 2001. After her time at ASU, she had another assignment at Goodfellow and was then deployed in 2008 to Djibouti, Africa, in the J2X Human Intelligence Division of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, controlling collection operations in 14 countries.
Upon returning from Africa, Maloney retired back to Wall, returned to ASU once again to earn her nursing degree, and worked for a short time at Shannon Hospital. Now fully retired, she supports ASU through the President’s Club, and her family funds ROTC and physical therapy scholarships.
For her career accomplishments and longstanding connection to ASU, the Alumni Association has named Maloney its 2023 Distinguished ROTC Alumna.
“I’m excited, and it truly means a lot, both from my standpoint as a former student and as a former instructor, because I bleed blue and gold,” she said. “I’ve been tied to ASU since 1979, and the closeness never goes away.”
Maloney and her husband, retired Lt. Col. Dale Werner, now live on a small farm in Wall. Dale, a former aircraft maintenance officer, has taught courses in ASU’s commercial aviation program, and their son, Oliver, attended ASU. Maloney’s mother, Jean, is also connected to ASU, as she receives ongoing care from ASU physical therapy students and professors.