Dr Mulumba Becomes First Ugandan Senior Officer in US Army

Dr. Lukia Nakawombe Mulumba, has become the first Ugandan-born woman to attain the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the prestigious United States Air Force.

Mulumba, who is a sickle cell activist was pinned on November 7, 2021 by her daughter Aliah Naginda and son Mark Abudallah Mulumba at a colorful military ceremony held at Travis Air Force Base Reserve Unit as reported by the East African Diaspora Media watch-EADM.

Col. Paddy Ankunda, the director of strategic communication under the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) was among the first top officers to congratulate Dr. Lt Col Mulumba upon achieving the milestone.

“Show some love to Dr Lukia Nakawombe Mulumba, the first Ugandan woman ever to be promoted to the Rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Airforce,” Col Ankunda tweeted.

Speaking to EADM, an online news organization, Dr. Mulumba, who was born at Kiti in Kasangati Town Council in Wakiso district, said she is so delighted for becoming a Lt Col in the world’s most powerful Air Force.

“Given my rural and humble background as an African woman, I had never in my life dreamt of becoming a Lt Col in the world’s most powerful Air Force. I am overwhelmed with joy and I thank God, my family, superiors, fellow servicemen and women, and the US Air Force for supporting and encouraging me in whatever I have done during my 16-year career in the Air Force,” Mulumba said.

Lt Col Lukiah Mulumba has served on two deployment tours in Afghanistan in 2014 and earlier, locally in Washington DC in 2010. She has also completed various military training programs. In 2017, Lt Col Mulumba completed a master’s degree from Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) from Maxwell, Air Force Base Alabama. She also trained as a Battlefield Trauma/Triage nurse officer for the critically ill at the University of Maryland, in 2013 after she had earned a Diploma in Squadron Officer School resident program, from Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama in 2010.

Lt Col Mulumba completed training in Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, Radiological Warfare & Terrorism Response, at Lackland AFB, 2005, 2011, and 2013 and had earlier received a Diploma as an Air Force Commissioned Officer from the US Air Force Training School at Maxwell, Alabama in April 2005. In 2001, she completed an OB/Short Stay, Neurology fellowship at John Hopkins Hospital, Maryland.

Throughout her 16-year career with the US Air Force thus far, Lt Col Mulumba has held management positions such as Director of Community Outreach; Flight Commander; Primary Care; Behavior Health; Acute Clinics and Ambulance Services; Supervised both civilians and active duty service members; Element Leader and Charge Nurse, largest Critical Care Unit; Intensive Care; Intermediate and Cardiovascular Unit; In House Hospital Supervisor; Charge Nursing Critical Care/Trauma; Post-Anesthesia Care; Emergency Room; Trauma Triage; ICU; ER; PACU Units; United States Air Force; The Craig Joint Theater Hospital; Bagram, Afghanistan in 2014.

Others included charge Nurse, Pediatric Intensive Care; Unit Critical Care Nursing; Aeromedical Staging Facility, 779th Aerospace Medicine Squadron; Cardiac Cath and Special Procedure; Med-Surgical Nursing; Critical Care Nurse; and Adult Intensive Care Unit.

Source – Kampala Post