Colonel DANA E. NOVINSKIE

Col. Dana E. Novinskie the Deputy Commander at the 133rd Airlift Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard, St. Paul, Minnesota. She is responsible for oversight of the Wing Headquarters’ units and staff to include the Comptroller Flight, Wing Safety, Chaplain, Public Affairs, and multiple programs including Equal Opportunity, and Community Action team. The 133rd Airlift Wing is comprised of the 133rd Operations Group, 133rd Maintenance Group, 133rd Medical Group, and the 133rd Mission Support Group. In addition, the 133rd Airlift Wing provides support to the 210th Engineering Installation Squadron and the 208th Weather Flight. Col. Novinskie is responsible for organizing, equipping and training personnel for worldwide deployments to provide necessary combat-ready forces and C-130 Hercules aircraft to combatant commanders, Air Mobility Command and the state of Minnesota.

Col. Novinskie is a 2004 graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She received her commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps in December 2004. Col. Novinskie then attended Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training followed by C-130 Initial Qualification Training at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. While on active duty, she served as a C-130 Aircraft Commander and T-6 Instructor Pilot. Col. Novinskie joined the Minnesota Air National Guard and 109th Airlift Squadron in 2012.  Prior to her current position, she was the A-3, Director of Operations, for the Minnesota National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters.

Col. Novinskie has completed numerous deployments both on active duty and in the Air National Guard. She has been in aircrew staff positions and flown missions supporting Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, CORONET OAK, SOUTHERN KATIPO and INHERENT RESOLVE. In 2015, she was the troop commander for the 53rd Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange, leading more than 100 Minnesota Air and Army National Guard services to Camp Vaernes, Norway. She was the mission commander for the 2019 Snow Bird Exercise in Yuma, Ariz., featuring two Air National Guard units and eight C-130 Hercules for a total of 225 personnel. Col. Novinskie has 804 combat and combat support sorties and has been awarded the Air Medal nine times. In her civilian capacity, she is an Air Bus 320 First Officer with a major airline.

EDUCATION
2004       Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Luke Air Force Base, Ari.
2005       Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006       Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas/Corpus Christi NAS, Texas
2007       C-130 Pilot Initial Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2010       Personal Training Certification, International Sports Science Association
2010       Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011       Fitness Nutrition and Fitness Therapy Certifications, International Sports Science Association
2011       T-6 Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
2012       C-130 Requalification, 133rd Airlift Wing, St. Paul, Minn.
2013       Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2015       Air Reserve Component Chief of Safety Course, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
2015       C-130 Pilot Instructor Course, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2017       Advanced Tactics Aircrew Course, St. Joseph, Mo.
2017       Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2018       Advance Instrument School, Mike Monroney Federal Aviation Administration Center, Oklahoma City, Ok.
2018       Advanced Mountain Airlift Tactical School, 152nd Airlift Wing, Reno, Nev.
2020       Air War College, by correspondence
2021       Air National Guard Contemporary Base Issues Course, Tacoma, Wash.
2022       Reserve Component National Security Course, Washington, D.C.
2022       Mobility Commander’s Tactics Course, St. Joseph, Mo.
2023       Commander’s Leadership Course, Washington, D.C.
2023       Safety Board President’s Course, by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS or CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. January 2005 - August 2005, Assistant Scheduler, 358th Fighter Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
2. August 2005 - March 2006, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
3. March 2006 - October 2006, Joint Advanced Multi-Engine Pilot Training, Corpus Christi, Texas
4. October 2006 – September 2007, C-130 Pilot Initial Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
5. September 2007 – September 2008, Squadron SELO, 40th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
6. September 2008 – September 2009, Group SELO, 39th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
7. September 2009 – September 2010, Chief of Mobility, Aircraft Commander, 39th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
8. September 2010 – July 2011, Central Scheduler, 39th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
9. July 2011 – November 2011, T-6 Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
10. November 2011 – March 2012, T-6 Instructor Pilot, 41st Flight Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss.
11. March 2012 – May 2015, C-130 Hercules Pilot, 109th Airlift Squadron, St. Paul, Minn.
12. May 2015 – March 2017, C-130 Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander 109th Airlift Squadron, St. Paul, Minn.
13. March 2017- August 2018, C-130 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Assistant Chief Pilot, 109th Airlift Squadron, St. Paul, Minn.
14. August 2018 – September 2019, C-130 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Chief Pilot, 109th Airlift Squadron, St. Paul, Minn.
15. September 2019 – August 2020, C-130 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Director of Operations, 109th Airlift Squadron, St. Paul, Minn.
16. August 2020 – April 2023, C-130 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Commander, 109th Airlift Squadron, St. Paul, Minn.
17. April 2023 – November 2024, C-130 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, A-3 – Director of Operations, Joint Force Headquarters, St. Paul, Minn.
18. November 2024 – Present, C-130 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Deputy Commander, 133rd Airlift Wing, St. Paul, Minn.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating:  Command Pilot
Flight hours:  More than 3, 350 hours
Aircraft flown:  T-6, T-44, C-130E, C-130H1/2/3, C-172

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with five oak leaf clusters

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 Distinguished Graduate, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2004 Top Graduate, Aerospace Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2007 Distinguished Graduate, C-130 Initial Qualification Course
2015 Distinguished Graduate, C-130 Instructor Pilot Course

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Member, National Guard Association of the United States
Member, Association of the United States Army
Member, Air Line Pilots Association
Member, Women in Aviation International

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant December 24, 2004
First Lieutenant December 24, 2006
Captain December 24, 2008
Major January 14, 2014
Lieutenant Colonel April 26, 2018
Colonel January 31, 2024

(Current as of December 2024)