Colonel Nathan T. Colunga is Commander of the Special Warfare Training Wing, Second Air Force, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Training Annex, Texas. The Special Warfare Training Wing provides initial and advanced skills training for Air Force ground combat forces, administering 16 different training courses and managing Air Force participation in seven joint schools. This training includes entry-level and apprentice courses for Special Tactics, Combat Rescue, Combat Control, Pararescue, Special Reconnaissance, and Tactical Air Control Party officer and enlisted specialties, as well as combat diving, basic airborne, military freefall, static-line jumpmaster, air traffic control, and paramedic training. The wing consists of two groups, seven squadrons, and twelve detachments across ten states.
Colonel Colunga received his commission through ROTC in 2000 after graduation from the University of Texas at Austin. Since completion of navigator training in 2001, he has flown more than 3,300 hours and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. Colonel Colunga has commanded special operations forces in garrison and in combat, and executed multiple deployments in support of operations in the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility. Most recently, he served as the Commander, Joint Special Operations Air Component – Central. Prior to his assignment to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Colonel Colunga was the Vice Commander, 352nd Special Operations Wing, RAF Mildenhall. Colonel Colunga is married and has two children.
EDUCATION
2000: Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Austin, TX
2007: Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2010: Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2011: Master of Arts, Military Studies, American Military University, Charestown, WV
2013: Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval Command Staff College, Newport, RI
2017: Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School (ICAF), Fort McNair, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2000 - August 2001, Student, Jt Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Randolph AFB, TX
2. November 2001 - April 2002, Student, C-130 initial mission qualification training, Little Rock AFB, AR
3. May 2002 - July 2004, C-130E Navigator, Tactics Officer, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein AB, GE
4. July 2004 - November 2004, Student, MC-130P initial mission qualification training, Kirtland AFB, NM
5. November 2004 - June 2006, MC-130P Instructor Nav, 17th Special Operations Squadron, Kadena AB, JP
6. June 2006 - November 2008, Chief, Weapons & Tactics, 353d Special Operations Group, Kadena AB, JP
7. November 2008 - March 2010, Chief, Stan/Eval, 67th Special Operations Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, UK
8. March 2010 - October 2011, Chief, Group Stan/Eval, 352d Special Operations Group, RAF Mildenhall, UK
9. October 2011 - June 2012, Assistant Ops Officer, 67th Special Operations Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, UK
10. July 2012 - July 2013, Student, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, RI
11. July 2013 - May 2014, Operations Officer, 9th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
12. June 2014 - July 2016, Commander, 17th Special Operations Squadron, Kadena AB, JP
13. July 2016 - June 2017, Student, Eisenhower School (ICAF), National Defense University, Fort McNair, D.C.
14. June 2017 - July 2019, Branch Chief, Force Assessment, Sufficiency & Readiness, JCS/J8, Pentagon, D.C.
15. July 2019 - June 2020, Deputy Director, Irregular Warfare Policy, OSD SO/LIC, Pentagon, D.C.
16. June 2020 - July 2022, Vice Commander, 352d Special Operations Wing, RAF Mildenhall, UK
17. July 2022 - Present, Commander, Special Warfare Training Wing, JBSA-Lackland, TX
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: More than 3,300
Aircraft flown: MC-130J, MC-130P, C-130E, T-43
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
(Current as of July 2022)