Col. Katie S. Nason is the Commander of the 908th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, 908th Airlift Wing, located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. She commands a dual-mission aeromedical staging squadron, supporting national defense taskings with deployable multi-capable Airmen. In this role, she manages and executes a $1.3M budget for sustained operational mission capabilities and creates, implements, and drives squadron functions to meet in-garrison medical readiness requirements for a 1000-member wing, while guaranteeing deployed patient movement capability. She ensures basic Airman and individual readiness for the 26 officers and 105 enlisted personnel in 13 Unit Type Code assignments comprised of 37 individual Air Force specialty codes.
Col. Nason was directly commissioned to the Air Force Reserves as a general surgeon in training in 1998 after completing medical school at Oregon Health and Sciences University and her undergraduate degree at Stanford University. She attended Officer Training School in 2001. She has 27 years of service as a traditional reservist and has served as the Chief of Medical Staff at both the 910th Medical Squadron, Youngstown Warren Air Mobility Command and the 932d Medical Squadron, 932d Air Lift Wing, Scott Air Force Base. She served as the lead Observer, Controller Trainer for Global Medic/Patriot Medic 2023; during this combat support training exercise, she co-developed an OC/T training course for 20 Expeditionary Medical Support, En-Route Patient Staging, and Aeromedical Evacuation subject matter experts. For the second consecutive year, Col. Nason led the execution of the novel Air Combat Command/Air Education and Training Command-certified EMEDS and Aeromedical Evac Patient Staging qualifying and sustainment training and prolonged field exercise for 173 medics.
In her civilian career, Col. Nason is a fully qualified, dual-board certified Thoracic and General Surgeon and Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Massachusetts – Baystate in Springfield, Massachusetts. She received her training in General Surgery at the University of Washington, her cardiothoracic surgery training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed a fellowship in minimally invasive thoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Col. Nason works as a thoracic surgeon specializing in thoracic surgical oncology. Her research efforts have resulted in the publication of more than 75 peer-reviewed papers. Additionally, she serves on the leadership of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and Women in Thoracic Surgery, and sits on the editorial boards of the Annals of Surgery, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Col. Nason is also an Advance Trauma and Life Support instructor.
EDUCATION
1992 Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
1997 Doctor of Medicine and Surgery, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, Or.
2000 Reserve Commissioned Officer Training (RCOT), Maxwell Air Force Base, Maxwell, Al
2004 Completed residency training in General Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Wa.
2005 Master of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wa.
2007 Completed residency training in Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wi.
2008 Completed fellowship training in Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
2014 Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) training, Camp Bullis, Tx.
2015 Center for the Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills Shock Trauma training, St. Louis, Mo.
2016 Joint Medical Executive Skills Institute Intermediate Executive Skills Course (JMESI-IES), San Antonio, Tx.
2021 Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma Plus Expeditionary Skills, San Antonio Military Medical Center, Spring Branch, Tx.
2022 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, by correspondence
2023 Ground Surgical Training Phase I, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Oh.
2023 Ground Surgical Training Phase II, Camp Bullis, Tx.
2023 Squadron Commander Course, Robin-Warner Air Force Base, Ga.
2023 Triad Seminar, Westover Air Force Base, Ma.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Commander, 908th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama (15 September 2023)
2. Chief of Medical Staff, 932d Medical Squadron, Scott AFB, Illinois (24 February 2021)
3. Surgeon, 932d Medical Squadron, Scott AFB, Illinois (17 February 2018)
4. Chief of Medical Staff, 910th Medical Squadron, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio (8 December 2014)
5. Chief of Medical Operations, 910th Medical Squadron Youngstown ARS, Ohio (1 February 2009)
6. Surgeon, 604th Medical Squadron, Fairchild AFB, Washington (6 November 2004)
7. Surgeon, 349th Contingency Hospital, Fairchild AFB, Washington (4 March 2000)
8. General Practice Physician, Fairchild AFB, Washington (21 August 1998)
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Captain 1 July 1997
Major 1 Oct. 2010
Lieutenant Colonel 24 Aug. 2017
Colonel 1 Aug. 2023
(Current as of February 2024)