CNATRA Leadership

Executive Director

Mr. Michael "Pepe" Carambas, Executive Director of CNATRA, received his commission from the University of San Diego/San Diego State University NROTC, and was designated a Naval Flight Officer. He is a graduate of the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapon School, U.S. Navy Weapons Tactics Instructor (WTI) Course and earned a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Air War College.

Mr. Carambas' operational assignments include tours with VAW-123, CVW-7, VAW-117, USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and CCSG-11. He has completed deployments on USS America (CV-66), USS George Washington (CVN 73), USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, SOUTHERN WATCH, DECISIVE ENDEAVOR, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM and numerous Western Pacific deployments.

His shore assignments include an instructor tour with VAW-120; aide to the Director of Joint Theater Air and Missile Defense Organization, Joint Staff; Weapons Tactics Instructor and OIC of Weapons Tactics Unit Pacific and Training Officer AEWWINGPAC; and Military Professor of Strategy and Policy Naval War College.

Command tours include NROTCU Houston Consortium, Fleet Coordinating Group Yokosuka Japan, and Training Squadron FOUR (VT-4).

His civilian assignments include Training Administrator, United States Citizenship Immigration Service and Deputy Director, 435 Air Ground Operations Wing (AGOW) and 435 Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW), Ramstein Air Base Germany. Mr. Carambas' most recent assignment was Deputy Chief of Staff Continental US Region, First Air Force (Air Forces NORTHERN & Air Forces SPACE) CONR- 1 AF (AFNORTH & AFSPACE), Tyndall Air Base, Florida.

Mr. Carambas logged over 3,500 flight hours and accumulated over 500 carrier-arrested landings. His decorations include the Air Force Civilian Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Legion of Merit (two Awards), Joint Meritorious Service Award, Meritorious Service Award (four awards), two Strike/Flight Air Medals, eight (four with Combat V) Naval Commendation Medals and other personal, campaign and service ribbons.