Major Karrissa A. Goeken

Director of Staff, 3rd Special Operations Squadron, 27st Special Operations Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico

Major Karrissa A. Goeken is the Director of Staff for the 3rd Special Operations Squadron in the 27st Special Operations Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico.  As the Director of Staff and an MQ-9 pilot, Maj Garza leads 240 airmen in providing air superiority to Combatant Commanders and Special Operation Forces around the world.  Maj Garza is also responsible for ensuring aircrews are trained, equipped and ready to meet the next challenge.  

In 2012, Maj Garza commissioned from ROTC at the University of Colorado Boulder, and immediately reported to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas as a Logistics Readiness Officer for the 7th Logistics Readiness Squadron. Maj Garza gained experiences as the Instillation Deployment Officer where she led eight deployments of C-130Js and B-1B to three areas of operation to move a total of 1300 airmen and 56 tons of cargo.  Next she served as the Petroleum Oil and Lubricants Flight Commander led 78 airmen to meet the Flying Hour Program for the first time in six years.  Maj Garza moved on to command the Materiel Management flight where her team’s innovative efforts earned Dyess AFB the prestige of being the most innovative base in Air Combat Command.  Then Maj Garza moved to South Korea to serve as the Logistics Liaison at the 607th Air Support Operations Group, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea where she aligned four bases with joint and coalition operational plans to deter North Korea.  Following this assignment, Maj Garza then moved to Travis AFB, California to join the 621st Contingency Response Wing where her and her team delivered emergency airlift capabilities to hurricane victims and emerging combat crises.  Finally, Maj Garza attended Undergraduate Remote Pilot Aviation training at Randolph AFB, Texas before joining the 3rd Special Operations Squadron.