She is the first women to attain general officer rank in the New Zealand Defence Force and the first to be appointed as a service chief.

[3] She graduated into the Royal New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps as a second lieutenant in June 1992.

[3][4] In May 2021, King was promoted to the rank of brigadier from general-list officer at a ceremony led by Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Kevin Short.

"[2] In June 2021, King was seconded as joint head of MIQ, alongside Megan Main.

[5][6] MIQ was run by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as part of New Zealand's all-of-government COVID-19 national response border measures, and was implemented in April 2020.