COLONEL JANETTE L. THODE Colonel Janette L. Thode is Vice Commander of the 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md. In this role, she is responsible for the training and readiness of more than 1200 assigned wing personnel in 20 units employing eight KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft. The 459th Air Refueling Wing supports Air Mobility Command’s worldwide air refueling mission meeting the air refueling needs of the Joint Force and select allied nations. In addition, 459th Air Refueling Wing members provide a broad cross-section of agile combat support and aeromedical evacuation capabilities to combatant commanders in times of peace, war and national emergency, both within the United States and globally. Colonel Thode was commissioned in 1995 as a ROTC distinguished graduate from University of Miami, Florida. After Undergraduate Navigator Training at Randolph AFB, Texas she received her navigator wings at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida in 1996. Following training as a B-1 weapons systems officer at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, she served in a variety of positions over her active duty career including B-1 instructor weapon systems officer, B-1 evaluator WSO, wing electronic warfare officer and B-1 weapons and tactics flight commander. She transferred to the Air Force Reserve Command in December 2005 where she served as wing inspector general, squadron commander, deputy group commander, and acting group commander. She is a senior navigator with over 1,700 B-1 hours and multiple deployments in support of Operations Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. Prior to her current assignment, she was the Acting Chief of Strategic Assessments Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. EDUCATION 1995 Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, University of Miami, Miami, Fla. 2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2002 USAF Weapons School, B-1 Weapons Instructor Course, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 2008 Air Command and Staff College (Distance Learning) 2015 Masters of Arts in Management and Leadership, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va. 2016 Air War College (Distance Learning) 2017 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C. 2019 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo. 2019 Joint Combined Warfare School – Hybrid, Norfolk, Va. 2021 Nuclear 400, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 2021 Nuclear Policy, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Kirtland AFB, N.M. ASSIGNMENTS 1. June1995 - April 1996 - Student, Navigator Training, Randolph AFB, Texas 2. April 1996 - April 1997 - Student, Navigator Training, NAS Pensacola, Fla. 3. April 1997 - November 1997- Student, B-1 FTU, 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas 4. November 1997 - November 1998 - Chief, Mission Planning, 77th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 5. November 1998 - January 2000 - Standardization and Evaluation Liaison Officer, 77th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 6. January 2000 - September 2000 - Wing Standardization and Evaluation Liaison Officer, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 7. September 2000 - November 2000 - Assistant Chief, Standardization Evaluation, 77th Bomb Squadron Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 8. November 2000 to June 2002 - Wing Electronic Warfare Officer, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 9. June 2002 - November 2002 - Assistant Flight Commander, Weapons and Tactics, 37th Bomb Squadron Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 10. November 2002 - September 2003 - Flight Commander, Weapons and Tactics, Weapons and Tactics, 37th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. 11. September 2003 - December 2005 - Flight Commander, B-1 Information Systems, 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas 12. December 2005 - September 2006 - Executive Officer (TR), 96th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas 13. September 2006 - June 2007- Chief Operations Group Tactics (TR), 916th Operations Group, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. 14. June 2007 - April 2010 - Assistant Director of Operations (TR), 916th Operations Support Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. 15. April 2010 - February 2011 - Operations Officer (TR), 916th Operations Group, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. 16. February 2011 - November 2013 - Wing Inspector General (TR), 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. 17. December 2013 - July 2015 - Inspector General (TR), 340th Flying Training Group, JBSA-Randolph, Texas 18. July 2015 - October 2017 - Commander (TR), 433rd Training Squadron, JBSA-Lackland, Texas 19. October 2017 – January 2019 - Deputy Commander (TR), 340th Flying Training Group, JBSA-Randolph, Texas 20. January 2019 – July 2019 – Deputy Chief of Strategic Assessments Division (IMA), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 21. July 2019 - September 2020 – Acting Chief of Strategic Assessments Division (Long MPA tour), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 22. May 2020 – Present – Vice Wing Commander, 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md. FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Senior navigator Flight Hours: More than 1,700 Aircraft flown: B-1, T-43, T-38 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Legion of Merit Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters Air Medal with oak leaf cluster Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one silver and one bronze oak leaf clusters Combat Readiness Medal National Defense Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Kosovo Campaign Medal with bronze star Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korean Defense Service Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Force Longevity Service Award with three oak leaf clusters NATO Medal OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS 2012 Lieutenant General John P. Flynn Award, Best Inspector General Complaints Resolution Program, AFRC 2015 Reserve Officer Association Outstanding Non-Flying Unit Award EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant May 31, 1995 First Lieutenant May 31, 1997 Captain May 31, 1999 Major October 1, 2005 Lieutenant Colonel August 15, 2012 Colonel September 27, 2017 (Current as of May 2022)