COLONEL CATHERINE A. CORREA

Col Catherine Correa is the Maintenance Group Commander at 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. She provides total administrative support for more than 300 personnel in addition to the oversight and budget of all maintenance operations on eleven KC-46A Pegasus aircraft tasked with worldwide aerial refueling missions.

 

Col Correa enlisted in the Air Force Reserve in 2000 and worked as an F-16 Weapons Loader until she received a scholarship and her commission through the University of Miami’s Reserve Officer Training Corps in 2003. After graduation, she was stationed at FE Warren AFB as nuclear missile operator during which time she earned her first Master’s degree before returning to the Reserve Command in 2007.

 

Col Correa served as a traditional reservist in the 920^th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Patrick AFB, FL for five years and deployed once with the unit before taking a job as an Air Reserve Technician (ART) to command the 914th Maintenance Squadron at Niagara Falls AFB, NY. While stationed at Niagara, she volunteered for a deployment opportunity to Qatar after which she was placed on active duty orders for 13 months as a student at the Advanced Studies of Air Mobility course at McGuire AFB, NJ earning her second Master’s degree -- an MS in Logistics from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

 

After that assignment, Col Correa returned to the ART program taking a command billet with the 910^th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Youngstown, OH. After a successful command tour, she returned to Patrick AFB to command the 920^th Maintenance Squadron and deployed again as an Air Advisor earning the Special Duty Identifier in the greater Baghdad area. She served six months as Deputy Group Commander and then G-Series Group Commander for the 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, Bagdad Diplomatic Support Center, Baghdad, Iraq. In that capacity she travelled outside-the-wire throughout the greater Baghdad area lending her expertise to Iraqi Air Force senior leaders.  Her actions in support of operation INHERENT RESOLVE earned her a Bronze Star Medal. Shortly after returning to home station, she was selected for the Maintenance Group Commander trainee position at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC. She was hired as the 916th Maintenance Group Commander at Seymour Johnson after just one year in the trainee position.

 

2000 Bachelors of English Literature, Florida International University, FL.

2001 Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas

2001 Weapons Systems Training School, Sheppard AFB, Texas

2001 Airman Leadership Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas

2003 Space and Missile Training Course, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.

2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

2007 Masters of Business Administration, University of Phoenix, Wyo.

2008 Squadron Officer School (correspondence)

2008 Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas

2011 Reserve Officer Developmental Education, (various locations)

2013 Maintenance Officer Intermediate Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas

2015 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)

2015 Masters of Science in Logistics, Air Force Institute of Technology, McGuire AFB, N.J.

2017 Maintenance Officer Intermediate Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas

2019 Air Advisor Course, McGuire AFB, N.J.

2022 Air War College (correspondence)

 

Air Force Commendation Medal

Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two hourglass and one “M” Device

Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal

Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and two oak leaf clusters

Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with one star

320 MS Company Grade Officer of the Quarter, January-March 2007

920 MXS Company Grade Officer of the Year, 2011

920 MXG Company Grade Officer of the Year, 2011

81 ERQS Company Grade Officer of the Quarter, January-March 2012

Bronze Star Medal