COLONEL SUSANA C. CORONA
Colonel Susana C. Corona is the 150th Special Operations Wing Vice Commander, New Mexico Air National Guard, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. The Wing generates ready citizen Airmen in a variety of career fields which include aircrew, maintenance, intelligence, communications, medical, personnel, finance, transportation and security forces for state and federal missions. Within the Wing, there are four groups: Operations, Maintenance, Mission Support and Medical.
Corona is New Mexico native and received her commission upon graduation from New Mexico State University. As a lieutenant, her first operational tour was with the 8th Fighter Squadron providing intelligence operations data for mission planning over enemy territory. She deployed for Operation DESERT THUNDER with her Squadron. She deployed again with the unit which provided combat operations in Kosovo. As a captain she served as the Chief Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance officer, 601st Air Operations Center, aiding in the relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Corona has years of experience at the national level where she led collection management, open-source intelligence/classified all-source production and the RECON of worldwide sensitive chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive operations. She has over twelve years of acquisition experience in test, research, and development of Acquisition Level-I programs, to include the F-22 and Joint Strike Fighter.
Corona served as the Commander, 250th Intelligence Squadron charged with the production of targeting products to fulfill warfighter requirements. She then went on to Command the Air Forces largest Geospatial-Intelligence unit at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. There she partnered with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the OHANG. She oversaw Presidential first-find reporting and testing of cutting-edge intelligence technologies with a unit budget of $48 million. Prior to her current position, the colonel was the J2 Joint Forces Headquarters, Kirtland AFB, NM. She was responsible for Intelligence support to all New Mexico National Guard Army and Air units in their execution of Federal and State missions. She partnered with the State IG to strengthen the NMARNG Intelligence Oversight program within the 93rd Troop Command and 111th Sustainment Brigade. As a citizen Airmen, she volunteered to serve on State Active Duty status as a New Mexico substitute teacher during the COVID pandemic.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelors of Science Degree, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces
1997 Intelligence Officer Training, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
2003 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2005 Acquisition Intelligence Formal Training Unit, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2011 Masters of Science in Military Operational Art & Science, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Air Command and Staff, by correspondence
2015 Air War College, by Air Reserve Component Seminar
2015 NGB Squadron Commanders Course, Andrews AFB, Md.
2016 Joint Targeting Staff Course, Dam Neck Naval Base, Va.
2018 ACC Commanders Course, Langley AFB, Va.
2019 NGA GEOINT Professional Certification
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Aug1996 – May 1997, Student, Intelligence Applications Officer Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
2. May 1997 – May 1998, Intelligence Operations Officer, 49th Operations Support Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M. (Dec 1997 – Mar 1998, Chief, Intelligence Flight, 49th Expeditionary Operations Group, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait)
3. May 1998 – May 1999, Chief, 8th Fighter Squadron Intelligence Branch, Holloman AFB, N.M. (Feb 1999 - May
1999, Chief, 8th Fighter Squadron Intelligence Branch, 49th Expeditionary Operations Group, Aviano AB, Italy)
4. Jun 1999 – Mar 2001, DCGS SIGINT Program Manager, Air Intelligence Agency, Kelly AFB, Texas
5. Apr 2001 – May 2002, Executive Officer to the Director, Plans and Programs, Air Intelligence Agency, Lackland AFB, Texas
6. Jun – Nov 2002, Chief, AIA/ACC Intelligence Integration, Air Intelligence Agency, Lackland AFB, Texas
7. Dec 2002 – Dec 2003, Chief, Information and Space Integration Branch, National Air & Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
8. Dec 2003 – Jan 2005 Chief, Research and Integration Branch, National Air & Space Intelligence
Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. Feb 2005 – Aug 2006, Chief, Intelligence Operations and Acquisition, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards
AFB, Calf. (Sep 2005 – May 2006, Chief, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, 601st Expeditionary Air Operations Center, Tyndall AFB, Fla.)
10. Aug 2006 – Jun 2008, IMA to Chief, Collection Requirements Flight, National Air & Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. Jun 2008 – Aug 2012, IMA to Director of Operations, Information Exploitation Squadron, National Air & Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. Aug 2012 – Oct 2015, IMA to the Senior Intelligence Officer, Defense Intelligence Agency, Charlottesville,
Va.
13. Sep 2015 – June 2018, Commander, 250th Intelligence Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
July 2018– July 2020, Commander, GEOINT Analysis Squadron, National Air and Space Intelligence Center,
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
Aug 2020—Feb 2023, State J2, New Mexico National Guard, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
Mar 2023—Present, Vice Wing Commander, 150th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 18, 1996
First Lieutenant June 18, 1998
Captain June 18, 2000
Major July 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 24, 2012
Colonel July 28, 2022
(CURRENT AS OF MARCH 2023)