Major General JODY A. MERRITT Maj. Gen. Jody A. Merritt is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Space Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. She serves under the authority, direction, and control of the U.S. Space Command commander in defending U.S. and allied interests in the space domain while providing space-enabled combat effects to joint warfighters around the world. She shares responsibility for more than 18,000 Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Guardians operating ground and space-based systems who provide satellite communication, space domain awareness, offensive and defensive space control effects, and position, navigation and timing services. She is also the senior Reserve officer on the staff and serves as the commander’s principal advisor on planning, coordination, and employment of Reserve forces. Maj. Gen. Merritt was commissioned in 1989 through the United States Air Force Academy, graduating with Military Distinction. She is a Command Space Operator with operations in seven Department of Defense satellite missions. Maj. Gen. Merritt is a graduate of the Air Force Intern Program with assignment to the Joint Staff supporting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of State and President on the Middle East Peace Process. In her civilian role, Maj. Gen. Merritt works for a Fortune 500 company, strategically identifying and pursuing business opportunities by assessing client needs, formulating winning strategies and leading teams through the proposal process to secure contracts or projects. EDUCATION 1989 Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, minor in Spanish, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 1991 Master of Science, Management Information Systems, St. Mary’s University, Texas 1997 Air Force Intern Program, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 1997 Master of Arts, Organizational Management, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 2014 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. 2015 Senior Requirements Leader, Level C Certification, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va. 2021 Cybersecurity–The Intersection of Policy and Technology, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass. 2022 Artificial Intelligence for National Security Leaders, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, Mass. 2023 Advanced Senior Leadership Development Seminar, Military, Strategic and Organizational Leadership, Department of the Air Force, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. ASSIGNMENTS 1. May 1989–December 1993, Personnel Operations Research Analyst, Executive Officer at Armstrong Laboratory, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas 2. December 1993–July 1995, Flight Commander, Evaluator, and Executive Officer at 1st Space Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo. 3. July 1995–May 1997, AF Intern Program at Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 4. May 1997–March 2000, Senior Flight Commander, Director of Engineering at Office of Space Operations, Assistant Space AF Element, the Pentagon, with duty at National Reconnaissance Office, Onizuka Air Force Station, Calif. 5. March 2000–September 2002 Collection Requirements Manager, with Duty at National Air Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson, Ohio. 6. September 2002–October 2004 Joint Tactics Cell Reserve Liaison at Office of Space Operations, Assistant Space AF Element, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., with duty at National Reconnaissance Office, Onizuka AFS, Calif. 7. October 2004–October 2005 Wing IMA, at Office of Space Operations, Assistant Space AF Element, the Pentagon, with duty at National Reconnaissance Office, Onizuka AFS, Calif. 8. October 2006–February 2010 Deputy Flight Commander Operations, Deputy Chief Combat Operations Division, Chief Combat Plans Division at Joint Space Operations Center, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. 9. February 2010–June 2012 Director of Operations, 6th Space Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo. 10. June 2012–June 2014, Commander, 6th Space Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo. 11. June 2014–June 2015, IMA to the Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements, and Analysis, Air Force Space Command A5/8/9, Peterson AFB, Colo. 12. June 2015–July 2017, IMA to the Director of Integrated Air, Space, Cyberspace and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations, AFSPC 2/3/6O; Assignments to Defense Innovation Unit Experimental and Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), Silicon Valley, Calif. 13. July 2017–November 2019, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 14. November 2019–December 2019, Mobilization Assistant to the Combined Force Space Component Commander, U.S. Space Command, and Commander, 14th Air Force, Air Force Space Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. 15. December 2019–May 2023, Mobilization Assistant to the Combined Force Space Component Commander, U.S. Space Command, and Commander, Space Operations Command, U.S. Space Force, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. 16. May 2023–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Space Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. July 1995–May 1997, Air Force Intern Program at the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a captain 2. October 2015–May 2016, Assignment to Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, Silicon Valley, Calif., as a colonel 3. November 2019–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Combined Force Space Component Commander, U.S. Space Command, U.S. Space Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., as a brigadier general MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters Joint Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster National Defense Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one oak leaf cluster (Current as of April 2024)