Col Burns is the Commander of the Maintenance Group for the 190th Air Refueling Wing, Topeka, Kansas where she directs all flight line and heavy maintenance efforts ensuring the readiness of 12 KC-135R aircraft to support daily flying activities, exercises, deployments, and wartime taskings. She oversees the production of a 270-person group with two squadrons and ensures balance between wing sortie production and fleet management. She ensures standardization of maintenance discipline, policies, procedures, safety compliance and maintenance management philosophy.
Col Burns began her career with the Kansas National Guard in October 1989 as a non-dual status technician assigned as a Military Personnel Clerk in the Army National Guard’s Military Personnel Office. She transferred to the Human Resource Office in April 1993 where she was a Program Manager over the Army’s technician pay and travel accounts. Col Burns enlisted into the Kansas Air National Guard as a Personnel Specialist in February 1998. After gaining her commission through the Academy of Military Science in 2001, Col Burns held several positions at Joint Forces Headquarters to include Military Personnel Management Officer, Chief Employee Services Division (Human Resource Office), Executive Officer for the Adjutant General, and Deputy Inspector General. In July 2017, she was assigned to the 190th Air Refueling Wing and has held the positions of Operations Officer and Squadron Commander in the Logistics Readiness Squadron, Maintenance Squadron Commander, and Maintenance Deputy Group Commander.
EDUCATION
1998 Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), Texas
2001 Bachelor of Science, Organizational Management and Leadership, Friends University, Topeka, Kansas
2001 Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee
2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Alabama
2014 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2014 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2020 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1998 – May 1998, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. May 1998 – June 1998, Student, Personnel Technical Training, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi
3. June 1998 – April 2004, Human Resources Specialist, Human Resource Office, Topeka, Kansas
4. April 2004 – June 2004, Student, Personnel Officer Course, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi
5. June 2004 – September 2004, Human Resources Specialist, Human Resource Office, Topeka, Kansas
6. September 2004 – June 2008, Military Personnel Management Officer, Headquarters Kansas Air National Guard, Topeka, Kansas
7. June 2008 – March 2011, Chief Employee Services Division, Human Resource Office, Topeka, Kansas
8. March 2011 – June 2014, Executive Officer, Joint Forces Headquarters Kansas, Topeka, Kansas
9. July 2014 – June 2017, Deputy Inspector General, Joint Forces Headquarters Kansas, Topeka, Kansas
10. July 2017 – August 2018, Logistics Readiness Operations Officer, 190th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), Topeka, Kansas
11. August 2018 – January 2019, Commander, Logistics Readiness Squadron, 190th ARW, Topeka, Kansas
12. February 2019 – April 2019, Student, Logistics Readiness Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
13. April 2019 – October 2020, Commander, Logistics Readiness Squadron, 190th ARW, Topeka, Kansas
14. October 2020 – February 2021, Commander, Maintenance Squadron, 190th ARW, Topeka, Kansas
15. February 2021 – June 2021, Student, Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
16. June 2021 – October 2022, Commander, Maintenance Squadron, 190th ARW, Topeka, Kansas
17. October 2022 – August 2023 – Deputy Commander, Maintenance Group, 190th ARW, Topeka, Kansas
18. August 2023 – Present, Commander, Maintenance Group, 190th ARW, Topeka, Kansas
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal
STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Kansas National Guard Distinguished Service Medal
Kansas National Guard State Emergency Duty Service Ribbon
Kansas National Guard Commendation Ribbon
Kansas National Guard Service Medal with two devices
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant September 21, 2001
First Lieutenant September 21, 2003
Captain September 21, 2005
Major October 3, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel October 3, 2016
Colonel August 31, 2023
(Current as of September 2023)