Col. Mike Fea is the Command Surgeon, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. As the senior medical advisor to the Commander, Pacific Air Forces, he is responsible for nine medical groups, 3,900 personnel and a budget of $2.9 billion. Col. Fea’s team supports three Numbered Air Forces, patient movement across the Pacific and oversees medical contingency planning, medical operational plan support, tri-service and international medical cooperative engagement activities with 38 countries. He also serves as the JTF-Support Forces Antarctica Surgeon.
Col. Fea is a native of Granite City, Ill., and enlisted in the USAF in September 1990 as an Aerospace Propulsion Specialist (C-130s). Col. Fea honorably separated from the USAF in 1994, attended North Carolina State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree, and re-entered the USAF as a direct commissioned officer in 1997.
Col. Fea has commanded at the group and squadron levels and served as both a Joint Staff and Air Staff action officer. He is a licensed professional engineer and is board certified as both a certified industrial hygienist and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Prior to his current assignment, Col. Fea was the Deputy Director, Medical Operations, Headquarters Air Force, Falls Church, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science in Chemical (Biochemical) Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.
2003 Master of Science in Civil (Environmental) Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 USAF Contingency War Planner’s Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Joint Medical Planner’s Course, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence and in-residence by Joint Staff fellowship
2015 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Joint Senior Medical Leaders Course, Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute, Falls Church, Va.
2024 Medical Senior Leadership Program, US Army Medical Center of Excellence, San Antonio, Texas
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1991-September 1994, Aerospace Propulsion Specialist, 41st Airlift Squadron, 317th Tactical Airlift Wing, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
2. November 1997-September 2000, various positions culminating as Bioenvironmental Engineer, 314th Aeromedical-Dental Squadron, 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
3. September 2000-July 2003, various bioenvironmental engineering positions culminating as Chief Occupational Health Element, 59th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, 59th Medical Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
4. August 2003-July 2006, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight Commander, 31st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy
5. July 2006-July 2007, Joint Staff Intern, Logistics Directorate, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
6. July 2007-July 2010, Joint Operations Environmental Health Officer, Logistics Directorate, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
7. July 2010-July 2012, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight Commander, 779th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, 79th Medical Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
8. August 2012-June 2014, Commander, 15th Medical Operations Squadron, 15th Wing, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii (November 2013-February 2014, Commander, 379th Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia)
9. July 2014-May 2015, Student, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. June 2015-July 2018, Deputy Chief, Officer Force Development Division, Manpower, Personnel, and Resources Directorate, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, Falls Church, Va.
11. July 2018-June 2019, Special Assistant to the Air Force Surgeon General for Trusted Care, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, Falls Church, Va.
12. July 2019-July 2021, Commander, 51st Medical Group & Command Surgeon, 7th Air Force, Osan Air Base, ROK
13. July 2021-May 2023, Commander, 673d Medical Group & Director, DHA Alaska Market, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK
14. June 2023-July 2024, Deputy Director, Medical Operations, Department of the Air Force, Office of the Surgeon General, Falls Church, Va.
15. August 2024-present, Command Surgeon, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
July 2007-July 2010, Joint Operations Environmental Health Officer, Logistics Directorate, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., as a major
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 USAF Company Grade Officer Bioenvironmental Engineer of the Year
2013 Lead, USAF Biomedical Sciences Corps and Patient Centered Medical Home Teams of the Year awards
2019, 2021, 2022 Lead, PACAF Surgeon General’s Hospital of the Year awards
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
2004-present, Licensed Professional Engineer, Raleigh, N.C.
2005-present, Board Certified in Industrial Hygiene (IH), American Board of IH, Lansing, Mich.
2021-present, Board Certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Chicago, Ill.
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Oct. 10, 1997
First Lieutenant Oct .1, 1999
Captain Oct. 1, 2001
Major Nov. 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2012
Colonel Dec. 1, 2019
(Current as of November 2024)