Col Francisco J. Catalá is the Commander, Columbus Medical Group, Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. He leads 156 Airmen, civilians, and contractors in delivering medical support to the Air Force's largest flying training wing. He supports 43,000 wing sorties per year and ensures ready, reliable medical care for 13,000 beneficiaries. Col Catalá sustains a $32 million facility, oversees $821,000 in home-station medical response support, and directs an annual budget of $8 million dollars.
He commissioned into the Biomedical Science Corps as a Bioenvironmental Engineer and has served in seven major commands and three combatant commands in a variety of leadership roles, including squadron command of a non-traditional unit in Falls Church, Virgina. His breadth of operational experiences supporting the joint force range from coordinating direct support assistance in response to the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and building bare base capabilities to serving as the medical CBRN consultant to the US European Command during the Ukraine/Russia conflict. He is a certified International Health Specialist, and Language Enabled Airman. Prior to his current assignment, Col Catalá was the Command Bioenvironmental Engineer, Air Force Pacific Command.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez
2000 Bioenvironmental Engineering Officer Course, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas
2004 Master of Science, Public Administration, Wilmington University, Wilmington, Del.
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Intermediate Executive Skills Course, San Antonio, Texas
2022 Joint Medical Senior Leaders Course, Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, Va.
2024 SHIELD Executive Engineering and Leadership Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
ASSIGNMENTS
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June 2000–March 2003, Chief of Operational Support, 436th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Dover AFB, Del. (April 2002–June 2002, Bioenvironmental Engineer, Southwest Asia)
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March 2003–July 2006, Chief of Operations, 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
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August 2006–August 2008, Chief of Bioenvironmental Engineering, 39th Medical Operations Squadron, Incirlik Air Base, Republic of Turkey
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September 2008–September 2011, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight Commander, 509th Medical Operations Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo. (July 2009–January 2010, Aerospace Medicine Flight Commander & Senior BSC, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, Southwest Asia) (March 2011–September 2011, Head of Linguistics Department, USSOUTHCOM, USNS Comfort, NORTHCOM AOR)
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September 2011–July 2015, Deputy Command Bioenvironmental Engineer, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
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July 2015–July 2017, Command Bioenvironmental Engineer, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
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July 2017–June 2019, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight Commander & Senior BSC, 78th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Robins AFB, Ga. (July 2018–January 2019, Medical Support Flight Commander & Senior BSC, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, Southwest Asia)
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June 2019–June 2021, Commander, Air Force Element Medical Depart of Defense, Falls Church, Va.
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June 2021–July 2022, Command Bioenvironmental Engineer & Senior BSC, HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA, Ramstein AB, Germany
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July 2022–June 2024, Command Bioenvironmental Engineer & Senior BSC, HQ PACAF, Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam, Hawaii
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July 2024–December 2025, Commander, 14th Medical Group, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
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December 2025–present, Commander, Columbus Medical Group, 359th Medical Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
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
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2002 Air Mobility Command Outstanding Bioenvironmental Engineer Company Grade Officer of the Year
2004 Air Force Space Command Outstanding Bioenvironmental Engineer Company Grade Officer of the Year
2006 U.S. Air Forces in Europe Bioenvironmental Engineer Flight/Element of the Year
2013 Air Combat Command Biomedical Science Corps FGO of the Year
2014 General Larry O. Spencer Innovation Award–Team
2015 Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command Surgeon General FGO of the Year
2015 CSAF Team Excellence Award
2016 Air Force Global Strike Command Biomedical Science Corps FGO of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant December 1, 1998
First Lieutenant December 1, 2000
Captain December 1, 2002
Major October 1, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2014
Colonel December 1, 2022
(Current as of February 2026)