MAJOR GENERAL MARIA A. FALCA-DODSON

Retired 1 October 2012

Assistant Adjutant General - Air, New Jersey National Guard

Major General Maria Falca-Dodson was Assistant Adjutant General - Air, New Jersey National Guard. She also served as Commander, New Jersey Air National Guard which includes the 108th Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and the 177th Fighter Wing in Egg Harbor Township. General Falca-Dodson had direct responsibility for New Jersey Air National Guard full time operations.

General Falca-Dodson began her military career in 1980 when she was directly commissioned as a first lieutenant in the 108th Tactical Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard. In 1993, she received her Chief Nurse Badge. In 1998, she was appointed to the position of Commander, 108th Air Refueling Wing Medical Group.

General Falca-Dodson served for seven years as the Deputy Adjutant General for the State of New Jersey where she was responsible for daily oversight and management of over 8,300 members of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard, as well as state operations of the Department which included management of a 93.5 million dollar budget and programs such as Recruiting and Retention, Ethics, Installations Division, Military Personnel, the National Guard Training Center at Sea Girt, Public Affairs, Government Relations, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, State Partnership for Peace Program with Albania to facilitate accession into North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Challenge Youth Academy and Homeland Security.

General Falca-Dodson was responsible for the stationing of a Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team in New Jersey; part of the senior team responsible for the oversight of the federal mobilization and deployment of 85 percent of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard; team leader for the Base Realignment and Closure process resulting in successful retention of the flying mission at the 108th Air Refueling Wing and the development of future missions of the 108th Air Refueling Wing and the 177th Fighter Wing (KC-X and fifth generation fighter, respectively); construction and development of the Homeland Security Center of Excellence including the state-of-the-art Joint Operations Center; development of New Jersey National Guard Reconstitution process and increased funding 1.3 million dollars for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; turnaround and expansion of the New Jersey Challenge Youth Academy from a program in failure to three national awards; development of the statewide network of family support programs including the development of a grant program and fund raising initiative of the National Guard State Family Readiness Council of New Jersey; and facilitated the revision of the State Active Duty statute to improve pay and benefits for National Guard members. General Falca-Dodson was The Adjutant General's designee for the Governor's Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force. General Falca-Dodson has participated in multiple overseas deployments and was deployed as Medical Commander, Task Force Fuertos Caminos, Panama, 1999.

EDUCATION:

1975 The College of New Jersey, Bachelor of Science, Nursing, Ewing Township, New Jersey
1983 Central Michigan University, Master of Arts, Administration, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
1994 United States Air War College, by correspondence
2002 Critical Stress Management Certification, Denver, Colorado
2004 Reserve Components National Security Course, Washington, District of Columbia
2005 Anti-Terrorism Executive Seminar, Washington, District of Columbia
2005 Senior Leadership Orientation Course, Washington, District of Columbia

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. April 1980 - September 1990, Medical Surgical Clinical Nurse, 108th Tactical Hospital, 108th Tactical Fighter Wing, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey
2. September 1990 - June 1993, Assistant Chief Nurse, 108th United States Air Force Clinic, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey
3. June 1993 - June 1995, Chief Nurse, 108th Medical Squadron, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey
4. June 1995 - June 1997, Chief Nurse Executive 108th Medical Squadron, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey
5. June 1997 - November 1998, Commander, Air Transportable Hospital, 108th Medical Squadron, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey
6. December 1998 - March 2002, Commander, 108th Medical Squadron, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey
7. April 2002 - November 2008, Deputy Adjutant General, New Jersey Joint Force Headquarters - Air Component, New Jersey National Guard, Fort Dix, New Jersey
8. November 2008 - September 2012, Assistant Adjutant General - Air, New Jersey National Guard, New Jersey Joint Force Headquarters, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon (with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Armed Services Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass)
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Medal
Air Force Training Ribbon
New Jersey Ribbon of Honor (with two Bronze Clusters)
New Jersey Merit Award (with a 22 Arabic numeral)
New Jersey Desert Storm Ribbon
New Jersey Recruiting Ribbon
New Jersey Unit Strength Award
New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal
Army Aviation Association of America Knight of Saint Michael Award
Republic of Albania Ministry of Defense

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS:

Air Force Association
New Jersey State Nurses Association
Alumni Board, The College of New Jersey
American Legion
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States
National Guard Association of the United States
National Guard Association of New Jersey
Enlisted Association of the National Guard of New Jersey
Sigma Theta Tau, Inc. (International Honor Society of Nursing)
Associate Board of the Institute of Nursing
Jewish War Veterans of the United States

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:

1997 Air National Guard Outstanding Nurse of the Year
2003 New Jersey Challenge Youth Program Award-Most Improved & Progressive Program

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

First Lieutenant 9 April 1980
Captain 28 May 1981
Major 1 March 1986
Lieutenant Colonel 5 June 1993
Colonel 30 March 2000
Brigadier General 15 February 2004
Major General 15 May 2009

(Current as of October 2012)