Col Francisco J. Catalá is the Commander of the 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 57,000 wing sorties per year and ensures ready and reliable medical care for a beneficiary population of 13,000. Col Catala sustains a $32 million dollar facility, overseas $821,000 in home-station medical response support, and directs an annual budget of $8 million dollars.
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 since served in a wide variety of leadership positions, including: as Headquarters Pacific Air Forces Command Bioenvironmental Engineer (BEE) and Deputy Chief of Aerospace Medicine, located at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Commander, and Command and Deputy Command Bioenvironmental Engineer at USAFE-AFAFRICA; Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and at Air Combat Command Surgeon's Office respectively.
Col Catalá 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. As a certified Regional International Health Specialist and Language Enabled Airman, he led the U.S. Naval Ship COMFORT Linguistics Department during Operation CONTINUING PROMISE, ensuring healthcare services for 58,000 patients and 265 surgeries.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR
2000 Bioenvironmental Engineering Officer Course, Brooks AFB, TX
2004 Masters of Science Degree in Public Administration, Wilmington College, Wilmington, DE
2005 Squadron Officer's School (correspondence/in residence) 2010 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)
2016 Air War College (correspondence)
2016 Intermediate Executive Skills Course
2022 Joint Medical Senior Leaders Course
2024 University of Southern California SHIELD Executive Engineering and Leadership Program
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ASSIGNMENTS
Jun 2000-Mar 2003, Chief of Operational Support, 436th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Dover AFB, DE
Mar 2003-Jul 2006, Chief of Operations, 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Peterson AFB, CO
Aug 2006-Aug 2008, Chief Bioenvironmental Engineering, 39th Medical Operations Squadron, Incirlik AB, Republic of Turkey
Sep 2008-Sep 2011, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight CC, 509th Medical Operations Squadron, WhitemanAFB, MO
Jul 2009-Jan 2010, Aerospace Medicine Flt CC & Sr. BSC, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, Southwest Asia
Mar 2011-Sep 2011, Head of Linguistics Department, USSOUTHCOM, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), NORTHCOM AOR
Sep 2011-Jul 2015, Deputy Command Bioenvironmental Engineer, Headquarters Air Combat Command, JBLE, VA
Jul 2015-Jul 2017, Command Bioenvironmental Engineer, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, LA
Jul 2017- Jun 2019, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flt CC & Sr. BSC. 78 Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Robins AFB, GA
Jul 2018-Jan 2019, Medical Support Flt CC & Sr. BSC, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, Southwest Asia
Jun 2019- Jun 2021, Commander, AFELM MED DoD, Falls Church, VA
Jun 2021-Jul 2022, Command Bioenvironmental Engineer & Sr. BSC, HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA, Ramstein AB Germany
Jul 2022-present, Command Bioenvironmental Engineer & Sr. BSC, HQ PACAF, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,
HI MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with eight oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Recognition Ribbon with one oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with two oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Overseas Ribbon Short with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon w/Gold Border with one oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
2002 AMC Outstanding BE Company Grade Officer of the Year
2004 AFSPC Outstanding BE Company Grade Officer of the Year
2006 USAFE's BE Flight/Element of the Year
2013 ACC BSC FGO Cat Ill of the Year 2014 Gen Larry 0. Spencer Innovation Award- Team
2015 HQ AFGSC/SG FGO of the Year
2015 CSAF Team Excellence Award
2016 AFGSC 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 May 2024)