Jennifer K. Reeves is a Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies at the Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence.
Background: Jen is a retired United States Air Force Colonel with almost 29 years of active duty, finishing her career as the Chief of the Air Force’s Engine Room, leading the service’s Program Objective Memorandum (POM) build. She commanded the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, leading a 4,000-person team comprising all operational, security, business operations, administrative, and civic engagement activity. Before that, Reeves commanded the 381st Training Group at Vandenberg Air Force Base, where she developed a pipeline of 250 students annually to meet the needs of the space and nuclear operations and maintenance career fields. She commanded the 2d Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, bringing space-based missile warning to military and allied customers worldwide while operating the Defense Support Program and Space-Based Infrared System satellite constellations. Reeves served on three headquarters staffs, was deployed or stationed in five combatant commands, and served on two general officer personal staffs. Immediately prior to joining Mitchell, Reeves worked for a non-traditional government contractor focusing on creating purpose-built software applications to assist in decision making in the POM build process.
Areas of focus: Reeves is a Space Weapons Officer with multiple deployments supporting the joint fight with space assets. Her technical areas of expertise include space-based missile warning, nuclear operations, training, space control operations, and, more recently, programming the Air Force’s budget. Her focus areas at Mitchell include all of these and the emerging issues facing the U.S. Space Force.
Academic and professional titles: Jen earned an Associate’s degree equivalent from her German secondary school in Berlin. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from San Diego State University, a Master of Basic Science in Physics from the University of Colorado in Denver, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Air War College. Most recently she completed a certificate course in Executive Coaching from the University of Georgia.