Col Francisco J. Catalá is Commander, 14th Medical Group, Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. He leads 156 Airmen, civilians, and contractors to deliver medical support to one of the Air Force's busiest pilot training wings. He supports 43,000 wing sorties per year and ensures ready and reliable medical care for a beneficiary population of 13,000. Col Catalá sustains a $32 million dollar facility, oversees $821,000 in-home station medical response support, and directs an annual budget of $8 million dollars.
Col Catalá commissioned into the Biomedical Science Corp in 2000 and has served in a variety of leadership roles, including squadron command at a non-traditional unit in Falls Church, Virginia, and Command Bioenvironmental Engineer at three Combatant Commands.
Col Catalá began his career at Dover AFB where he supported the DoD Mortuary and coordinated direct support in assistance to the Sep 11, 2001, Pentagon and Anthrax threats. He has unique deployment operations experience ranging from setting up bare bases as part of a laydown team during ENDURING FREEDOM, closing Forward Operation Bases, and serving with sister services, allies, and partners in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. Additionally, he was the Medical CBRN consultant to the U.S. European Command during the Ukraine/Russia conflict. Col Catalá is a certified Regional International Health Specialist and Language Enabled Airman. He is married to Sylvette M. Vélez Rivera and they have two amazing children, Sofia and Diego.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR
2000 Bioenvironmental Engineering Officer Course, Brooks AFB, TX
2004 Master of Science, Public Administration, Wilmington College, Wilmington, DE
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL by correspondence/in residence
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL by correspondence
2016 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL by correspondence
2016 Intermediate Executive Skills Course, San Antonio, TX
2022 Joint Medical Senior Leaders Course, Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, VA
2024 University of Southern California SHIELD Executive Engineering and Leadership Program, Los Angeles, CA
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. June 2000 – March 2003, Chief of Operational Support, 436th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Dover AFB, DE (April 2002 – June 2002, Bioenvironmental Engineer, Southwest Asia)
2. March 2003 – July 2006, Chief of Operations, 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Peterson AFB, CO
3. August 2006 – August 2008, Chief Bioenvironmental Engineering, 39th Medical Operations Squadron, Incirlik AB, Republic of Turkey
4. September 2008 – September 2011, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight CC, 509th Medical Operations Squadron, Whiteman AFB, MO (July 2009 – January 2010, Aerospace Medicine Flt CC & Sr. BSC, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, Southwest Asia; and March 2011 – September 2011, Head of Linguistics Department, USSOUTHCOM, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), NORTHCOM AOR)
5. September 2011 – July 2015, Deputy Command Bioenvironmental Engineer, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint
Base Langley-Eustis, VA
6. July 2015 – July 2017, Command Bioenvironmental Engineer, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale
AFB, LA
7. July 2017 – June 2019, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flt CC & Sr. BSC, 78th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Robins AFB,
GA (July 2018 – January 2019, Medical Support Flt CC & Sr. BSC, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, Southwest Asia)
8. June 2019 – June 2021, Commander, Air Force Element Medical Depart of Defense, Falls Church, VA
9. June 2021 – July 2022, Command Bioenvironmental Engineer & Sr. BSC, HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA, Ramstein AB, Germany
10. July 2022 – June 2024, Command Bioenvironmental Engineer & Sr. BSC, HQ PACAF, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
11. July 2024 – present, Commander, 14th Medical Group, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, MS
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with nine oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Recognition Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Overseas Ribbon Short Tour with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2002 Air Mobility Command Outstanding BE Company Grade Officer of the Year
2004 Air Force Space Command Outstanding BE Company Grade Officer of the Year
2006 U.S. Air Forces in Europe BE Flight/Element of the Year
2013 Air Combat Command BSC FGO Cat Ill of the Year
2014 Gen Larry 0. Spencer Innovation Award – Team
2015 Headquarter Air Force Global Strike Command Surgeon General FGO of the Year
2015 CSAF Team Excellence Award
2016 Air Force Global Strike Command BSC FGO Cat III of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, January 2000
First Lieutenant, December 2000
Captain, December 2002
Major, October 2008
Lieutenant Colonel, December 2014
Colonel, December 2022
(Current as of July 2024)