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Colonel Kathryn M. Romano is the Chief of the Joint Staff at Joint Forces Headquarters, Idaho National Guard, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. In this role, she serves as the full-time principal advisor to the Adjutant General, the Director of the Joint Staff, and the Idaho Office of Emergency Management on a broad range of joint military and domestic operations matters involving the Department of War, the Departments of the Air and Army National Guard, and the Idaho Military Division. Additionally, she directs the State Partnership Program with the Kingdom of Cambodia, J9 Family Services program, the 101st WMD/Civil Support Team, and Idaho National Guard Counterdrug operations. She serves as the Director of the Idaho State Information and Analysis Center (ISIAC).
Col. Romano began her military career in May 2004 when she was commissioned through the Rochester Institute of Technology ROTC program. She completed Communications and Information Systems technical training in October 2004 at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. She then served on active duty as a Communications Officer, leading network and infrastructure modernization efforts, while serving with the 366th Communications Squadron, 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron, and 726th Air Control Squadron.
After transitioning to the Idaho Air National Guard in 2008, she held leadership and staff assignments at Joint Forces Headquarters, the 124th Mission Support Group, Air Combat Command’s Cyberspace and Information Dominance Branch, the 124th Communications Flight, and the 212th Command and Control Squadron. She deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to Balad, Iraq, with the Joint Incident Site Communications Capability package and was activated for multiple state emergency operations as a Joint Task Force Commander. Prior to her current assignment, Col. Romano served as the J3/Director of Military Support, Joint Staff, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho.
EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Science, Information Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
2004 Expeditionary Communications Officer Training, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
2005 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, Correspondence
2010 Master of Science, Information Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
2010 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), (ISC)²
2010 United States Air Force Cyberspace 200, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2013 Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), EC-Council
2014 Security+ (S+), CompTIA
2014 Base Communications Commanders Cyber Orientation (BC3O), 113th Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
2014 United States Air Force Cyberspace 300, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2016 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Alabama
2018 Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, Project Management Institute, Boise, Idaho
2020 Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
2022 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, Correspondence
2024 Consequence-Driven Cyber-Informed Engineering (CCE), Idaho National Laboratory, Boise, Idaho
2025 Joint Task Force Staff Training Course, U.S. Northern Command, Gowen Field, Idaho
ASSIGNMENTS
- July 2004 – July 2005, Flight Commander, Plans and Programs, 366 Communications, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho
- July 2005 – September 2007, Flight Commander, Network Management, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho
- December 2006 – May 2007, Deputy Commander, Plans and Programs, Balad Air Base, Iraq
- June 2008 – June 2010, Network Operations Commander, 212 Command and Control Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
- June 2010 – May 2014, Director of Operations, 212 Command and Control Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
- May 2014 – June 2021, Commander, 124 Communications, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
- June 2021 – June 2022, Deputy Mission Support Group Commander, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
- June 2022 – June 2023, Director of A6, Joint Forces Headquarters, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
- June 2023 – August 2026, J3/Director of Military Support, Joint Staff, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
- August 2026 – Present, Chief of the Joint Staff, Joint Forces Headquarters, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
- June 2023 – August 2026, J3/Director of Military Support, Joint Forces Headquarters, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, as a Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel
- August 2026 – Present, Chief of the Joint Staff, Joint Forces Headquarters, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, as a Colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Iraq Campaign Medal
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Idaho Meritorious Service Medal
Idaho Governor’s Outstanding Unit Citation with two devices
Idaho Emergency Duty Ribbon with device
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 20, 2004
First Lieutenant June 20, 2006
Captain October 1, 2008
Major February 3, 2013
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2018
Colonel August 19, 2025