Capt Natalie Ketner is an Instructor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Captain Natalie Ketner received both her commission and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in May 2019 from the Academy. In March 2021, Capt Ketner graduated from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

Prior to her current position, Capt Ketner was a Radio Frequency (RF) Signals Engineer in 2021 at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. She led a 3-person team in RF signal analysis to reverse engineer foreign systems in the Air Force’s sole Foreign Materiel Exploitation Squadron. In October of 2021, she became a cyber assured munitions engineer at AFRL, Eglin AFB, Fla. where she directed $1.6M open systems seeker interface development. In 2024, Captain Natalie Ketner was selected to be part of a specialized team of engineers for a Scientist and Engineer Demand Force Team demonstration, including a 2-week mock deployment to Andersen AFB, Guam. Captain Ketner contributed to insect neural network research published to Current Biology in 2023 at AFRL, Eglin AFB, Fla. From 2022-2026, she was a Lead Project Engineer and Deputy Portfolio Manager in the Advanced Concepts Division, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Munitions Directorate, Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Fla. She led 21 elite engineers in a selectively manned unit conducting sensitive, high-priority weapons technology for over $200M of MAJCOM priority projects.

Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (2024)

Masters of Science, Electrical Engineering, AFIT, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio (2021)

Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, USAFA, Colo. (2019)

Instructor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2026-present)

Deputy Portfolio Manager and Lead Project Engineer and Project Engineer, Advanced Concepts Division, Munitions Directorate, AFRL, Eglin AFB, Fla. (2022-2026)

Cyber Assured Munitions Engineer, Integrated Seekers and Processing Branch, Munitions Directorate, AFRL, Eglin AFB, Fla. (2021-2022)

RF Signals Engineer, Foreign Materiel Exploitation Squadron, NASIC, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio (2021)

AFIT Masters Student, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio (2019-2021)

Directorate Company Grade Officer of the Year (2025)

Division Company Grade Officer of the Quarter (2025)

Air Force Materiel Command Annual Classified Award – Junior Military Program Manager (2024)

Science, Engineering and Technical Management Junior Military Engineer of the Year (2023)

Division Company Grade Officer of the Quarter (2023)

Division Company Grade Officer of the Quarter (2022)

Science, Engineering and Technical Management Junior Military Engineer of the Year (2022)

Division Company Grade Officer of the Quarter (2021)

Other Achievements

Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters