Colonel Lisa Guzman is the Commander at the 18th Medical Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan. She commands a team of 623 healthcare professionals who ensure the medical readiness of the Air Force’s largest Combat Wing by providing safe, quality medical care to over 14,000 beneficiaries, directly promoting the mutual interests of the United States and Japan. The 18th Medical Group is the largest outpatient clinic in the Pacific Air Forces with 77 providers supporting over 215,000 annual medical and dental visits. Further, the group delivers support throughout the Pacific theater via several unique capabilities and missions including: the Air Force’s second largest neonatal intensive care unit, the only aeromedical staging flight in the Western Pacific, a Theater Preventive Medicine Flight, and the Theater Lead Agent for Medical Materiel – Pacific.
Prior to her current position, Col Guzman served as the Medical Service Corps Senior Fellow at the Office of the Surgeon General, Falls Church, Virginia. Her additional assignments include Commander, 374th Medical Support Squadron and Administrator, 374th Medical Group, Yokota Air Force Base, Japan, Commander, 21st Medical Support Squadron and Administrator, 21st Medical Group, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, and Deputy Commander and Administrator, 87th Medical Group, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. Additionally, she has held positions of increasing responsibility in Resource Management, TRICARE Operations, Group Practice Management, and Readiness.
Colonel Guzman is originally from Mexico. She joined the Air Force in 1997 and served eight years as a Healthcare Management Technician. Colonel Guzman is board certified as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executives.
EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, University of Maryland University College, Kaiserslautern, Germany
2005 Commissioned Officer Training, Maxwell AFB, AL
2005 USAF Health Service Administration Course, Sheppard AFB, TX
2005 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2006 Master of Business Administration, Touro University International
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL,. by correspondence
2009 Master of Science Health Science in Public Health, TUI University
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL,.by correspondence
2017 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
2017 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL,. by correspondence
2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1.May 2005 – August 2006, Element Leader, Medical Readiness, 30th Medical Group, Vandenberg AFB, CA
2.August 2006 – July 2007, Flight Commander, Medical Readiness/Resource Management, 30th Medical Group, VandenbergAFB, CA
3.July 2007 – July 2008, Flight Commander, TRICARE Operations and Patient Administration, 51st Medical Group, Osan AB, Republic of South Korea
4.July 2008 – July 2009, Group Practice Manager, 36th Medical Group, Andersen AFB, Guam
5.July 2009 – June 2010, Wing Executive Officer, 36th Medical Wing, Andersen AFB, Guam
6.June 2010 – June 2011, Education with Industry, Fellow, Medical Group Management Association, Englewood, CO
7.July 2011 – May 2013, Group Practice Manager, 59th Medical Operations Group, JBSA, TX
8.May 2013 – June 2014, Chief, Manpower and Staffing, 59th Medical Wing, JBSA, TX
9.June 2014 – August 2015, Flight Commander, TRICARE Operations and Patient Administration, 48th Medical Group, Royal AirForce (RAF) Lakenheath, England
10.August 2015 – June 2016, Flight Commander, Resource Management, 48th Medical Group, RAF Lakenheath, England
11.July 2016 – June 2017, IDE Student, Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
12.June 2017 – June 2018, Administrator, 87th Medical Group, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL), NJ
13.June 2018 – June 2019, Administrator and Deputy Commander, 87th Medical Group, JB MDL, NJ
14.June 2019 – June 2021, Commander, 21st Medical Support Squadron and Administrator, 21st Medical Group, Peterson AFB,CO
15.June 2021 – June 2023, Commander, 374th Medical Support Squadron and Administrator, 374th Medical Group, Yokota AB,Japan
16.July 2023 – June 2024, Senior Fellow, Medical Service Corps, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, Falls Church, VA
17.June 2024 – Present, Commander, 18th Medical Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with “V” device with six oak leaf clusters
Air Force Good Conduct Medal with one oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal
Global war on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal with two service stars
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, December 15, 2004
First Lieutenant, December 15, 2006
Captain, December 15, 2008
Major, December 1, 2013
Lieutenant Colonel, February 1, 2017
Colonel, October 1, 2023 (Current as of July 2024)