Brig. Gen. Kathleen Flarity is the Mobilization Assistant to the Command Surgeon, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. As the Mobilization Assistant, she supports the Command Surgeon as Chief Medical Consultant to the Commander, Air Mobility Command to ensure combat readiness, operational health and health care delivery to 448,000 beneficiaries. She serves as Deputy Command Surgeon in providing guidance on medical capabilities through plans, operational policies, military specific medical training, consultation and financial management. She assists with oversight of health care services provided by 6,250 medical personnel and a medical budget of $781 million and assets exceeding $1.6 billion. She assists the Command Surgeon in directing the clinical oversight of the Air Force global aeromedical evacuation system, a keystone of our national en route care capabilities. She assists with clinical operations capability development and supports research priorities for aeromedical evacuation and the Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Teams.
Brig. Gen. Flarity began her career as an Army combat medic in 1980, and received a commission in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1988. She deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991. In 1995, Brig. Gen. Flarity transferred to the Air Force Reserves and served with the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, McChord Air Force Base, Washington, and served in various capacities from 1995 until 2005. From 2005 to 2008, she served on the Air Staff as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of Air Force Nursing Services and AE/Air Expeditionary Consultant, Headquarters Air Force, Washington, D.C. In 2008, she was selected as the first Commander of the 34th Air Evacuation Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. In 2011, she deployed as Commander, 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. She then served as the 302nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron Commander, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. She has served as a Mobilization Assistant at Headquarters U.S. Air Force from 2013 to 2017. In her civilian occupation, she works as a Research Scientist and is an Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Deputy Director, Center for COMBAT Research.
EDUCATION
1980 Army Basic Training/Advance Individual Training, Fort McClellan, Ala., and Fort Sam Houston, Texas
1985 Army Airborne School, Fort Benning, Ga.
1987 Diploma in Nursing, Allen School of Nursing, Waterloo, Iowa
1988 Bachelor of Science, Nursing, Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
1992 Master of Nursing - Emergency/Critical Care, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
1995 Flight Nurse/AET-Flight School, Brooks-City Base, Texas
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1997 Master of Science, Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pacific Lutheran, Tacoma, Wash.
2002 Doctorate of Education, Kennedy Western University, Calif.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Advanced Joint PME-JFSC Norfolk, Va.
2012 Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Frontier University, Ky.
2014 Interagency Institute for Federal Healthcare Executives, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2014 Joint Task Force Commanders Course, NORAD/NORTHCOM, Colo.
2014 Executive Joint Domestic Operations Course, by correspondence
2015 Enterprise Leadership, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2019 Military Health Systems Capstone, Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1981–December 1982, Combat Medic U.S. Army, 21st Evacuation Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas
2. January 1982–January 1983, Combat Medic U.S. Army, 545th General Dispensary Pusan, South Korea
3. January 1984–August 1988, U.S. Army Reserve, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of NBC, Medic 73rd Combat Support Hospital, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
4. August 1988–August 1994, Head Nurse, Emergency, U.S Army Reserve, 50th General Hospital, Seattle
5. September 1994–August 2002, Flight Nurse/Instructor, OIC/Air Crew Training, 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, McChord Air Force Base, Wash.
6. August 2002–December 2005, Deputy of Staff Development; 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, McChord, AFB, Wash.
7. January 2005–January 2006, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of Air Force Nursing Services for Air Expeditionary, Office of the Surgeon General, HQ U.S. Air Force, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
8. January 2006–January 2008, Consultant to the Director of Air Force Nursing Services for Air Expeditionary/Readiness, Office of the Surgeon General, HQ U.S. Air Force, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
9. January 2008–December 2011, Commander, 34th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colo.
10. December 2010–May 2011, Commander, 455th Expeditionary Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
11. January 2012–May 2013, Commander, 302nd Aeromedical Staging, 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colo.
12. May 2013–September 2014, Mobilization Assistant to the Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Medical Force Development and Chief Air Force Nurse Corps, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Falls Church, Va.
13. September 2014–June 2015, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Medical Operations and Research, and Chief Air Force Nurse Corps, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Falls Church, Va.
14. June 2015–August 2017, Mobilization Assistant to the Chief of the Air Force Nurse Corps, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Falls Church, Va.
15. August 2017–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Command Surgeon, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: chief flight nurse, flight nurse instructor, flight nurse evaluator
Aircraft: C-141, C-130, C-17, C-27J, KC-135
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Good Conduct Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze stars
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1997 Awarded the Anna Mae Erickson Award, Washington State Emergency Nurse of the Year
1998 Air Mobility Command Rodeo - Best Aeromedical Evacuation Team overall/Best Aeromedical Evacuation Equipment Preflight and Best C-41configuration/enplaning
2000 Air Mobility Command Rodeo - 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron; Best Air Expeditionary Endurance Course, and Best C-141 Airlift Wing
2006 Recipient of the IMA Nurse Corps Officer of the Year Award
2006 Inducted as Fellow in the Academy of Emergency Nursing
2006 Selected as the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners State Award for Excellence
2007 Recipient of the Brig. Gen. Beverly Lindsey Award for Administrative Excellence
2007 Selected as the Distinguished Nursing Alumni for Pacific Lutheran University, Wash.
2012 Recipient of Colorado State Nightingale Award for Nursing Leadership
2013 Recipient of Emergency Nurses Association 2013 Nurse Researcher Award
2020 Recipient of the Mary T. Klinker Award-Aerospace Medical Association
PUBLICATIONS
Brigadier General Flarity has authored 16 book chapters, 31 articles, and hundreds of professional presentations governing emergency/advanced practice and flight nursing including 13 research articles
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Certified Emergency Nurse, Certified Flight Nurse
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Aug. 21, 1988
First Lieutenant Aug. 21, 1991
Captain Aug. 22, 1995
Major April 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 17, 2006
Colonel July 1, 2011
Brigadier General July, 20, 2020
(Current as of July 2020)