Col Hoettels is a Military Treatment Facility Director and Commander at the 19th Medical Group, Little Rock Air Force Base. She oversees the delivery of healthcare services to more than 12,000 empaneled patients and the nearly 44,000 eligible beneficiaries in central Arkansas. She serves as the chief executive officer for an outpatient clinic offering flight medicine, family health, pediatrics, optometry, dental care, mental health, and a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. Colonel Hoettels ensures a ready force with fully trained, mission-capable medical professionals to directly support the 19th Airlift Wing (AMC), 314th Airlift Wing (AETC), 189th Airlift Wing (ANG), 913th Airlift Group (AFRC), and 11 tenant units.
Col Hoettels was born in Okinawa, Japan. She graduated from Marquette University with her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations degree in 1998, commissioned into the United States Army Reserves and served eight years as a Medical Service Corps Officer. During this time, she served with the 114th Combat Support Hospital and the 360th Civil Affairs Brigade, Fort Jackson, SC earning Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations qualifications. In 2005, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and commissioned into the United States Air Force. She has served as a critical care and emergency nurse at joint military treatment facilities, was the Flight Commander of the Medical Specialties Flight, 633rd Medical Group, Langley, VA and flew with Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s Critical Care Air Transport Team and Acute Lung Rescue Team. She was awarded a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Norwich University in 2011 and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Gonzaga University in 2020. Col Hoettels completed a wargaming fellowship during Air Command and Staff College and most recently earned her military strategist designation after completing Grand Strategy program at Air War College.
Col Hoettels has deployed as an Army Medical Service Corps Officer to Bosnia-i-Herzogovina in support of the NATO Stabilization Force working in the Civil-Military Cooperation Battalion as a Public Health Team member and then in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on the Public Health Team of the Coalition Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force in Kabul, Afghanistan in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy. She served as a critical care nurse in the Expeditionary Medical Group in Balad, Iraq to support Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, deployed on a Critical Care Air Transport Team nurse from the 10th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and most recently deployed on the inaugural Ground Surgical Team to the Horn of Africa in support of Naval Special Warfare operations. Col Hoettels is a board member of the Virginia Commonwealth University alumni association and an active member of the Emergency Nurses Association.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Arts, International Relations, Marquette University, Milwaukee,
Wi.
1999 Army Medical Department Officer Basic Course, AMEDD Center & School,
Fort Sam Houston, Tx.
2001 Civil Affairs Officer Advanced Course, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare
Center, Fort Bragg, N.C.
2002 Psychological Operations Officer Advanced Course, John. F. Kennedy
Special Warfare Center, Fort Bragg, N.C., by correspondence
2005 Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University,
Richmond, Va.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Al., by
correspondence
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Al.
2010 Nursing Service Management, Sheppard AFB, Tx.
2011 Master of Nursing, Norwich University, Northfield, Vt.
2013 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Maxwell
AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Al., by correspondence
2016 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Al.
2018 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2020 Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Wa.
2022 Master of Strategic Studies, Maxwell AFB, Al.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 1998 – July 1999, Patient Administration Officer, 114th Combat
Support Hospital, Fort Snelling, Mn.
2. July 1999 – June 2000, Army ROTC Cadre, University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C.
3. July 2000 – February 2006, Public Health Team, 360th Civil Affairs Brigade,
Fort Jackson, S.C.
4. May 2006 – August 2006, Nurse Transition Program, 88th Medical Group,
Wright Patterson AFB, Oh.
5. August 2006 – January 2008, Clinical Nurse, Obstetrics, 79th Medical Group,
Andrews AFB, Md.
6. January 2008 – December 2008, ICU Fellow, Bethesda Naval Hospital,
Bethesda, Md.
7. January 2009 – February 2010, Clinical Nurse, Critical Care, 779th Medical
Group, Andrews AFB, Md.
8. February 2010 – December 2010, Clinical Nurse, Emergency Services,
633rd Medical Group, Langley AFB, Va.
9. January 2011 – October 2011, Flight Commander, Medical Specialties Flight,
633rd Medical Group, Langley AFB, Va.
10. November 2011 – September 2012, Resuscitative Medicine Officer in Charge,
86th Medical Squadron, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl,
Germany
11. October 2012 – July 2015, Clinical Nurse, Critical Care, 86th Medical
Squadron, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany
12. July 2015 – July 2016, LeMay Fellowship, Air Command and Staff College,
Maxwell Air Force Base, Al.
13. August 2016 – September 2017, Flight Commander, Multiservice Unit, 96th
Medical Group, 96th Test Wing, Eglin AFB, Fl.
14. October 2017 – May 2019, Flight Commander, Family Health Clinic, 96th
Medical Group, 96th Test Wing, Eglin AFB, Fl.
15. June 2019 – June 2021, Commander, 423d Medical Squadron, RAF
Alconbury, United Kingdom
16. July 2021 – May 2022, Student, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell Air
Force Base, Al.
17. June 2022 – June 2023, Chief Nurse Executive, 31st Medical Group, Aviano
Air Base, Italy.
18. July 2023 – July 2024, Commander, 673d Inpatient Operations Squadron,
Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Ak.
19. July 2024 – Present, Military Treatment facility Director and Commander,
19th Medical Group, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ar.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Award
Navy Unit Commendation
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border Humanitarian Service Medal
NATO Medal
PUBLICATIONS
“Medical Support to the DoD Arctic Strategy,” Æther: A Journal Of Airpower & Space Power, Spring 2023
Developing Telephone Triage (Book Chapter), “The Art and Science of Telephone Triage: How to Practice Nursing Over the Phone” (2012)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 18 Dec 1998
First Lieutenant 18 Dec 2000
Captain 1 June 2006
Major 1 June 2014
Lieutenant Colonel 1 Nov 2018
Colonel 19 June 2023
(Current as of July 2024)