Colonel Joseph P. Contino Colonel Joseph P. Contino is the commander, 914th Air Refueling Wing, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York. He is responsible for the wing’s worldwide combat air refueling mission and provides installation support to eight joint mission partners. As commander, he is responsible for the security of the installation’s 3,000 employees and the operability of over $1 billion in federal assets. Colonel Contino joined the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol cadet program in May 1984. He later enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1991 and worked as an A-7D Corsair II aircraft armament systems specialist for the 121st Tactical Fighter Wing and later as a KC-135R Stratotanker crew chief & boom operator for the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio. He later commissioned in May 1997 and was selected as a C-130H Hercules pilot for the 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio. He later returned to the 121 ARW to serve in multiple positions including the chief of plans (XP), chief of tactics, instructor pilot, flight commander, and served several deployed combat operations officer tours. He was responsible for supporting the Air Forces Transportation nuclear generation force and U.S. Strategic Command by ensuring 12 Stratotankers and 16 combat ready crews were trained and ready to conduct global nuclear operations for 18th Air Force’s Nuclear Task Force. Since November 2020, he’s served on staff for the operations policy branch of Air Mobility Command’s A10N nuclear operations division at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois and continues to do so as an augmentee. Prior to his current position, the colonel was the commander of the 914th Operations Group at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York. Colonel Contino is a command pilot with over 5,000 flight hours and 520 combat flying hours in support of Operations DENY FLIGHT, SHINING HOPE, NOBLE EAGLE, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM and INHERENT RESOLVE. He also supported U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission five times. EDUCATION 1994 Associate of Applied Science, Business Marketing, Columbus State Community College, Columbus, Ohio 1996 Bachelor of Arts, Marketing, Franklin University, Columbus, Ohio 1998 Master of Science, Business Administration, Franklin University, Columbus, Ohio 2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence 2009 Advanced Instrument School, Tinker AFB, Okla. 2010 Combat Air Tactics School, Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Miss. 2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2020 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence ASSIGNMENTS 1. April 1991 – May 1992, A-7D Aircraft Armament Systems Specialist, 121st Tactical Fighter Wing, Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio 2. May 1992 – December 1992, KC-135R Crew Chief, 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker ANGB, Ohio 3. December 1992 – October 1996, KC-135R Boom Operator, 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker ANGB, Ohio 4. October 1996 – May 2000, C-130H Pilot, 910th Airlift Wing, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio 5. May 2000 – October 2021, KC-135R Pilot, 121st Air Refueling Wing, Rickenbacker ANGB, Ohio 6. November 2020 – Present, Planner & Subject Matter Expert, Air Mobility Command Nuclear Operations and Plans, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. 7. October 2021 – July 2023, Commander, 914th Operations Group, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y. 8. July 2023 – Present, Commander, 914th Air Refueling Wing, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y. FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Command Pilot, ATP, AMEL Flight hours: 5,010 Aircraft flown: KC-135R, C-130H, B737, T-37, T-44 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal with oak leaf cluster Aerial Achievement Medal Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Meritorious Unit Award Meritorious Unit Award Outstanding Unit Award with 2 oak leaf clusters Combat Readiness Medal with 5 oak leaf clusters Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster National Defense Service Medal with bronze star Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze star Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with bronze star Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 'M' device PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS Permanent member, National Guard Association Permanent member, Veterans of Foreign Wars Permanent member, American Legion Permanent member, Knights of Columbus (Current as of JULY 2023)