Col Joseph S. Miranda is the Commander, 31st Operations Group, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy. The Operations Group consists of eight squadrons that continually support operations and exercises across three Combatant Commands. The wide-ranging operational capabilities are brought by Airmen from the 31st Operations Support Squadron, 56th and 57th Rescue Squadrons, 717th and 731st Expeditionary Attack Squadrons, 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons, and the 606th Air Control Squadron.
Col Miranda is a 2003 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, Mississippi, followed by F-16 training at Luke AFB, Arizona. Col Miranda served in a variety of flying and staff assignments, including operational F-16 duty in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He directed assignments for all rated officer and enlisted Airmen at the Air Force Personnel Center, served as a flight examiner at the squadron and group levels, fighter squadron director of operations and commander, and led personnel processing for over 35,000 Afghan evacuees during Operation Allies Refuge. Prior to his current assignment, Col Miranda was Deputy Director of Force Capability Analysis, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Col Miranda is a Command Pilot with over 2,400 flying hours and has participated in numerous operations including Operations Iraqi Freedom, Odyssey Dawn, Enduring Freedom, Resolute Support, Freedom’s Sentinel, Noble Eagle, and Allies Refuge.
EDUCATION
2003 Bachelor of Sciences, Civil Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2016 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2016 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2023 Combat Air Forces Fellow, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
2023 Graduate Certificate, Machine Learning in Business, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2003 – April 2004, Assistant Resource Advisor, 550th Special Operations Squadron, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
2. April 2004 – October 2005, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. October 2005 – January 2006, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Moody AFB, Ga.
4. January 2006 – September 2006, Student, F-16 Initial Qualification, Luke AFB, Ariz.
5. October 2006 – September 2009, Chief of Scheduling, Instructor Pilot, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy
6. October 2009 – January 2011, Flight Commander, Evaluator Pilot, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, Korea 7. February 2011 – December 2011, F-16 Division Chief, Wing Weapons, 52d Operations Support Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
8. December 2011 – September 2013, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 480th Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany (March 2013 – September 2013, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 451st Expeditionary Operations Group, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan)
9. October 2013 – April 2014, Wing Executive Officer, Instructor Pilot, 52d Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
10. April 2014 – August 2016, Branch Chief, Rated Operations Airmen Career Management, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
11. August 2016 – May 2018, Director of Operations, 79th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
12. June 2018 – June 2019, Commander, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, Korea
13. June 2019 – June 2022, Vice Commander, USAFE-AFAFRICA Warfare Center, Einsiedlerhof Air Station, Germany (August 2021 – October 2021, Director, Allies Refuge Personnel Control Center, Ramstein AB, Germany)
14. June 2022 – June 2023, Student, Combat Air Forces Fellowship, HQ Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
15. June 2023 – June 2025, Deputy Director, Force Capability Analysis, Dept of the Air Force Studies and Analysis, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
16. June 2025 – Present, Commander, 31st Operations Group, Aviano AB, Italy
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 2,200
Aircraft flown: F-16C/D, MQ-9, T-38, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
Iraq Campaign Medal with service star
Korea Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air & Space Campaign Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
NATO Medal with service star
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 2003
First Lieutenant May 28, 2005
Captain May 28, 2007
Major September 1, 2013
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2018
Colonel August 1, 2024
(Current as of May 2025)