Colonel Rafael V. Andino is the Commanding Officer of the 94th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. He commands a unit of approximately 190 traditional reserve members including ten Active Guard Reserve airmen. The 94th Aeromedical Staging Squadron is a dual mission unit, providing medical staging capabilities in a combat wartime evacuation setting and Periodic Health Assessments and health guidance to three Groups, thirteen Squadrons and their commanders. This guidance affects health care management and deployment availability for 2,000 Air Force personnel assigned to Dobbins Air Reserve Base. As squadron commander, his responsibilities include leading and overseeing all functions of the unit to include wartime and peacetime mission and training activities, budgeting, deployments, personnel issues, logistics, promotions and retention programs and other senior command leadership functions.
Colonel Andino earned a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Ga, a Master of Biomedical Engineering degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Al, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Mercer University in Atlanta, Ga.
Colonel Andino is originally from Havana, Cuba and grew up in Miami, Fla. He entered the Army in 1989 as an Infantry Cadet in the Reserve Officer Training Corps while a graduate biomedical engineering student at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. He completed the Army basic training course at Fort Knox, Ky. After a long break in service and many years as an engineer and executive in the biotechnology industry, Colonel Andino re-entered the military as a Captain in the Air Force Reserve in 2003, gaining his commission after completing Reserve Commission Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Al. His first assignment was serving with the 622nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Since that time, he has served in positions of increasing responsibility with two reserve medical units in the state of Georgia. In his most recent assignment, Colonel Andino was the Commanding Officer of the 413th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
EDUCATION:
1988 Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga.
1991 Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Al.
1994 Master of Business Administration, Mercer University, Atlanta, Ga.
2003 Reserve Commissioned Officer Training Program, Maxwell Air Force Base, Al.
2004 Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, Tx.
2005 Health Services Administration School, Sheppard Air Force Base, Tx.
2005 Squadron Officer School (by correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Al.
2010 Air Command and Staff College (by correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Al.
2019 Air War College (by correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Al.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. May 2003 – August 2012 – Health Service Administrator and Chief of Medical Readiness, 622nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
2. September 2012 – August 2015 – Squadron Administrator and Chief of Medical Support, 622nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
3. September 2015 – September 2016 – Squadron Administrator and Chief of Medical Readiness, 94th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga.
4. October 2016 – October 2020 – Commanding Officer, 413th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
5. October 2020 – Present - Commanding Officer, 94th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga..
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Meritorious Service Medal, Second Oakleaf Cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with 3 devices
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 1 device
Air Force Training Ribbon
Army Battalion Commander's Discretionary Award
Army Infantry Basic Training Ribbon
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
1989 Battalion Commander's Discretionary Award, awarded for scoring a perfect score on the Army Aptitude Test by the Commanding Officer of Fort Knox, Ky.
2014 Commanding Officer, EnRoute Patient Staging Squadron, Patriot Warrior Joint Combat Exercise, Fort McCoy, Wi.
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONS:
Captain March 2000
Major March 2007
Lieutenant Colonel October 2013
Colonel October 2020
(Current as of November 2020)